Outcast lost in RuneMidgard
by Benji Himura
Summary: What will happen to a normal person that suddenly finds himself in the middle of a world where monsters run in the wild ready to attack anyone in sight?
1. Prologue

Hi this is Benji Himura I am starting a new fanfic. I don't own Ragnarok online I also don't own the characters of that story or the plot; taking out the changes that I will make and the characters that I will create. I own Benji Himura and others characters that will show up in the story. It might be violence and sex in the story so if you are underage of seventeen are warned the content might be too improper to your age. Read by your own will and risk. In anyway enjoy the story.

Signed: Benji Himura

"Text" Talked sentences.

'Text' Thoughts.

-Text- Sounds effects.

(Text) Talked sentences in a foreign language

: Text: Messages show in an electronic screen or written.

**Text**: something being recalled, flashbacks, scenes being replayed.

_Text_: a detail found in a location, scene, person, recording and images that originally wasn't there.

Prologue

Somewhere in the Morroc desert

A tall man with short black hair is lying under the shade of tree, he is wearing black leather boots, dark blue jean pants and a very dirty white t-shirt, on his right hand is a combat knife and under his head a backpack, his face is covered from the sun by a white bandana. After few minutes the man stands up and gathers his belongings, he ties the bandana on his head and the backpack on his back and he moves away from the three.

A Drops pass near him and the man hurriedly kills the slimy creature, he grabs the dropped items and a piece of the Drops, he forces himself to eat the slime holding back his will to throw up. He keeps walking trying to find an oasis or a city, whatever he finds first before the desert kills him.

Time pass and the man is still walking on the desert, his clothes are now torn and some places are stained with blood, there is dry blood around his lips and down his chin, the single traces of what was left of a baby desert wolf that he killed earlier on that day. The man walks staggering on the now night of the desert he walks close of a small munch of trees and falls on his knees and hits the sand face down.

Much later a small party of a female assassin and a female crusader passes thru that area and sees the man. The assassin reaches him first and sees that he is not dead; she turns him over and carefully gives him an orange potion. "How bad he is Mana?" the crusader asked to the assassin. "He is in a bad shape but he will live Shina." Mana answered. "Just one orange potion will be enough for him?" Shina asked.

"He doesn't look like being from any classes that I know so he must be a novice with odd clothes. One orange potion must be enough." Mana answered. "But I think that it will take a while for him to wake up." "Let's take him with us we can't leave him like this." Shina said. "This place will get packed with desert wolves and they will tear him apart." Mana nods and they pass the man's arms over their shoulders and move away.

Later in one inn in Morroc

The man wakes and finds himself in a bed, he tries to sit but a hand holds him down. "Don't force yourself." Mana said to him. "Even thought the potion healed you well you should rest a little more, we found you unconscious on the desert." He nods and lays his head on the pillow. "You need something?" she asked. "I could use some water." He answered in a hoarse voice.

"Hold on." She said moving to a table to get the water; she gives it to him that drinks it slowly, savoring the taste of the water. "What is your name?" Mana asked to him. "Benji." he answered. "Benji Himura." "I am Mana." She replied. "I was traveling with my friend thru the desert when we found you. How you ended there?"

"I am not sure of how, but when I woke one day I was there." Benji answered honestly, it was the truth after all. "But why I am naked?" Mana chuckles at his question. "You clothes were very, very dirty and damaged, not that we blain you but you were stinking." She said with a smile. "We washed you."

Benji blushes embarrassed. "It is okay we did because it was needed to and while it was something that we didn't see before we don't mind." Mana commented; Benji sits feeling stronger thanks to the water. "Feeling better?" Mana asked. "Much better thank you." Benji answered with a smile covering his lower body with a sheet. "Were is the restroom?" Mana chuckled and points at the direction of it.

Benji moves to it. "I will take a proper bath if you don't mind." He said. "Please do." She replied, Benji nodded and enters on it. Few minutes later Shina enters in the room holding a paper bag. "Where is him?" she asked finding the bed empty. "Bathing." Mana answered. "He woke up a little while ago, so those are the new clothes?" Shina nodded confirming.

"Well I will give it to him." Mana said with a grim, taking the bag from her friend. Mana opens the door of the bathroom. "Hey we got you some clothes." She said placing the bag on the sink. "Mind in not looking at me!" Benji exclaimed covering himself with the shower curtain.

Mana leaves chuckling, closing the door after her. "You are hopeless." Shina said to the tanned assassin. Few more minutes later Benji leaves the bathroom wearing the novice clothes pants and shirt. "These aren't my clothes." Benji said holding everything else on his arms. "As I said they were damaged beyond repair." Mana replied pointing to a table. "But we emptied the pockets and all your other belongings are there."

"Thank you for everything." Benji said to them. "I can't repay for this kindness." "Don't worry about it." Shina said with a smile. "You needed our help so we helped we don't want anything back." Mana nods agreeing. "Come on I am sure that you are hungry so finish dressing up and lets go get dinner." She added. Benji nods and finishes dressing up placing his old backpack on his new backpack.

End of the prologue:

Please read and review. And I would like to thank everyone that is reading this story. I am going to make two versions of this story, one with out explicit sex scenes and one with then; as well with sexual related omakes. The unedited version can be found in MediaMiner fanfiction page. The link is on my profile.


	2. Short party

Hi this is Benji Himura I am starting a new fanfic. I don't own Ragnarok online I also don't own the characters of that story or the plot; taking out the changes that I will make and the characters that I will create. I own Benji Himura and others characters that will show up in the story. It might be violence and sex in the story so if you are underage of seventeen are warned the content might be too improper to your age. Read by your own will and risk. In anyway enjoy the story.

Signed: Benji Himura

"Text" Talked sentences.

'Text' Thoughts.

-Text- Sounds effects.

(Text) Talked sentences in a foreign language

: Text: Messages show in an electronic screen or written.

**Text**: something being recalled, flashbacks, scenes being replayed.

_Text_: a detail found in a location, scene, person, recording and images that originally wasn't there.

Chapter one: Short party

Benji, Mana and Shina are in the inn dinning lounge eating. "So want to join our party?" Mana asked to Benji between bites. "But I am not too low ranked to be with you two?" Benji asked back. "Well you are, but you can always hang around with us after all many males would love to be the only man traveling with two beautiful women as me and Shina." Mana replied. "If you two don't mind I will accept the offer." Benji said. "We don't mind, that is why we offered." Shina commented.

"Anyway you need a better weapon." Mana commented pointing to Benji with her fork. "That knife that you had was good but whatever you fought last broke it." "We will visit the shop first thing in the morning and get you good pieces of equipment." Shina said agreeing with her friend. "A good sword, sturdy shield, strong armor, comfortable boots and a stylish helm." Benji hears the duo making plans while he eats in silence, he wouldn't refuse anything that they would give to him, specially their help.

On the shop Benji is now wearing an adventure's suit, a pair of clips holding the cape like cloth on the back of the suit and a guard shield on his left arm. Shina pays for them and they leave the store. "That store isn't all that good." Mana commented. "Let's talk to a Kafra we have some better things that you can use stored."

"I am fine with basic items." Benji said. "No you are not." Shina said. "You are hanging around with us so you will have some good items." "That is right, you might be a novice right now but that doesn't mean that we will let you with some crappy items." Mana said while they move to Morroc square.

Benji sighs following them. In few minutes they are talking with a Kafra woman. "Here you go." Mana said handing to Benji a Sakkat, a pair of black sunglasses and a dragon killer dagger. "But they are rare items." Benji exclaimed. "I can't take them." "Yes you can." Mana replied. "I have seven Sakkats, many sunglasses and that is my third dragon killer so you can have them, you will put them in good use."

Benji nods putting on the items. "Now you want to change the color of your clothes?" Shina asked to him. "Don't sound bad." Benji commented. "Good!" Shina exclaimed. "That color is too bland." Few minutes later Benji is wearing a metal dark blue with metal dark red version of his clothes. "Now you are looking better." Mana commented. "Well let's go out and we will tank you for a while." Benji nods already knowing that is futile to resist.

Few hours later Shina is calmly standing in the middle of a large pack of desert wolfs that are trying to attack her, she easily dodges them and the few that manage to hit her don't damage her. Meanwhile Benji is killing the distracted wolfs in the beginning each kill made an aura burst and a angel appear, Mana explained it meant that he got in a higher level and his guardian angel was letting him know that. In half an hour the pack is dead and the party is leaving packed on items.

"Well now you can get an initial job." Shina commented drinking some carrot juice. "What you want to be?" "I can switch classes if I want to try something else?" Benji asked adjusting his sunglasses. "You can." Mana answered. "It isn't common but you can." "I keep whatever I learned from them too?" Benji asked with a devious plan on his mind. "Well you can but the skills tire you more." Shina answered. "I am fine with that." Benji commented. "So what you will change to?" Mana asked.

"To begin with everything to a swordsman." Benji answered with a smile. "I want to get some skills of it then jump to acolyte and when I get the skills that I want I go to the one that I want to." "And it is?" Mana asked. "Thief." Benji answered. "I want to be an assassin later."

Mana smiled. "It is because of me?" she asked curious. "Well I wanted to be on before, but you are a really good incentive too." Benji answered with a smile. Mana laughed and kisses Benji's cheek. "You are really spirited, well let's get going to Izlude." She said cheerfully. "Your base level must be around twenty and something by now. You will get the skill points really quick." Benji nodded agreeing and they use a butterfly wing each to return to Morroc.

After selling the unneeded items including more than three hundred yellow herbs and green herbs they leave to Izlude. Benji is content in having some zenys on his pockets, while fifty seven hundred and twenty four zenys aren't all that much was much better than relying solely on the girls.

Mana and Shina are chatting on the square eating some ice cream while Benji is passing by the swordsman's guild test. "So after he is done let's hit Payon?" Mana asked casually. "Payon again?" Shina replied. "Let's go to somewhere brighter. Let's hit the toy factory at least there the monster drop sweets." "Sold." Mana said. "We can sell them for tone thousand zenys and I am sure that Benji will like the cash." Shina nods agreeing.

Benji leaves the guild with swordsman clothes altered on his choice of color. "Congratulations Benji for your first job, to celebrate it we will be going to Lutie." Mana said slapping Benji's back playfully. "We will hit the toy factory and tank some cookies for you." "Thank you." Benji replied, once again they go talk to a Kafra lady to move to their desired location.

"BASH! BASH! BASH!" Benji shouted hitting a cookie. The small monster dies and Benji gets the fallen items. "Want to take a break Benji?" Mana asked with a group of cookies trying to hit her. "I think that I could use some time to catch my breath." He answered sitting down. "Okay let's take a break, Shina a magnum break." Mana replied clapping her hands. "Magnum break!" Shina shouted killing all the cookies with a second strike.

"So Benji how much more until you are done with the skill setting?" Mana asked sitting next to him. "Ten more points." Benji answered. "I have ten increased healing, five bash, ten magnum break, so it is only get ten of sword mastery."

"Job level twenty five." Shina commented sitting facing him. "You will quit when hitting thirty five, why you don't wait to reach the level thirty six and get healing while moving?" "Sounds good." Benji commented. Mana nodded pleased, while multi-skill fighters were rare since they need tons of money to change jobs they are very versatile and strong, of course that single jobs masters get stronger much faster.

One week later

"Man it took a while." Benji commented leaving Prontera's church now as an acolyte. "Don't worry about it Benji, it was fun." Mana said cheerfully to the new acolyte. "Come on let's hit Payon, there you bash a zombie and learn to heal then use it to kill more zombies. Shina got many grape juices and blue potions."

"Let's go." Benji replied moving to Prontera's square to meet the crusader. After a quick stop in a store to get a strong mace class weapon they leave to Payon's dungeon. In there Shina is tanking for Benji while he kills the zombies that just keep appearing.

Three weeks and many job level changes later Benji is ready to change again to this time stay as a thief until he gets high enough to change to assassin. Back to Morroc the party is resting on the inn. "It took three weeks in the total to get the zenys for the second job change and you got more acolyte skills too." Mana said with a smile holding a glass of wine. "And now you are a thief with base level sixty three and job level twenty just after the change."

"I wouldn't have got this far with out you two." Benji replied with a smile. "If you two weren't tanking me I wouldn't have reached this far so soon." "We don't mind helping." Shina commented smiling at him. "We were quite bored before you appeared so traveling around and helping you to level up is really keeping us busy and entertained." "Oh yeah." Mana added sipping her wine.

On the next morning they wake quite early with someone knocking on the door. Mana is the first to get up and answer it. She gives a small tip for the deliver boy and reads the letter that he delivered. Benji looks at the assassin and for the first time in a little more than one month that he saw the assassin frown.

"What is wrong Mana?" Benji asked looking at her worried. "We got called." Mana answered. "I mean that Shina and I got called by our guild." "What happened?" Benji asked. "War." Mana answered. "My guild was called to war and as part of it Shina and I have to go fight on it. I guess that is means that our playtime is over for a while; we won't be able to travel with you and tank for you."

"Then let me fight with you two." Benji said to the assassin. Mana smiles at his words. "We would love that Benji." Shina said walking close of Mana. "But our guild is a women only guild. We can't accept your offer." Shina holds Benji's face and kisses him lightly. "We had a great time hanging around with you." she said looking at his eyes. "But now we have to follow different paths."

Mana does the same kissing Benji lightly. "We are still friends and we will meet again someday." The assassin says with a sad smile. "Maybe then you will be a great assassin as I am imagining you to be." "I will do my best to not disappoint you two." Benji said giving to each one. "We know that you won't." they whispered to him.

Later on that day Benji watches they leaving thru a Kafra warp, the hours that preceded the warp the trio expend on a goodbye fight in Payon's dungeon. It was painful for Benji to say goodbye to his only friends and his saviors but he knew that they had to leave, before the warp both the crusader and the assassin gave a final and passionate kiss on Benji before leaving without telling him where they were going.

Benji preferred that way so he wouldn't go after them and would get mixed on their battle with out being called to help. Benji sighs and sits next to the Kafra lady of the entrance of the Payon's dungeon. Benji knows that he strong enough to not need their help against many monsters, but he liked their company and it was great to travel with them, not to mention that both of them are eye candies. Benji taps his Sakkat down covering his face and leans his back against the wall near of the Kafra lady.

"Miss warp me to Morroc's pyramids." Benji said to the Kafra. "Sure." She answered after charging the warping price. Benji finds himself in front of the Kafra in front of the entrance of the pyramids. He talks to her before entering.

Benji moves thru the maze of the first floor killing the bats and poison spores on his way. He moves thru the thief's guild to get some quest skills and goes lower to the really dangerous floors. He wants to vent some frustrations on something and high level monsters sound like a good target. Benji expends few hours killing Matyrs and other monsters down there. He only leaves the dungeon when too tired to continue fighting, using a butterfly wing Benji returns to the entrance and then move to Morroc.

Benji moves to the inn and gets a room for himself he takes a bath and have dinner feeling the lack of his friends. In the morning Benji decides to move to another city, one with not so many memories of Mana and Shina.

End of the chapter one:

Author pos-story notes:

I am sure that everyone that played Ragnarok knows that the change of classes and keeping the skills doesn't exist on the game. This is an original feature of the story, I know that it overpowers the character but Benji isn't the only multi-class on the story. And as everyone should also have noticed there is conversation about levels and skill points, on the story a person can tell his 'level' and for the skills is just like in the game, you always knew it but you need to get experienced to use it. Think that each character can control his growth like we can do it on the game

Please read and review. And I would like to thank everyone that is reading and reviewed this story. I am going to make two versions of this story, one with out explicit sex scenes and one with then; as well with sexual related omakes. The unedited version can be found in MediaMiner fanfiction page. The link is on my profile.


	3. Meetings

Hi this is Benji Himura I am starting a new fanfic. I don't own Ragnarok online I also don't own the characters of that story or the plot; taking out the changes that I will make and the characters that I will create. I own Benji Himura and others characters that will show up in the story. It might be violence and sex in the story so if you are underage of seventeen are warned the content might be too improper to your age. Read by your own will and risk. In anyway enjoy the story.

Signed: Benji Himura

"Text" Talked sentences.

'Text' Thoughts.

-Text- Sounds effects.

(Text) Talked sentences in a foreign language

: Text: Messages show in an electronic screen or written.

**Text**: something being recalled, flashbacks, scenes being replayed.

_Text_: a detail found in a location, scene, person, recording and images that originally wasn't there.

Chapter two: Meetings

Benji is on the second level of the sunken ship, he is being attacked by a horde of pirate skeletons, hydras and poison spores. Thanks to his high level and a great mix of monster cards and items almost none of the attacks hit him. Benji now owns a slotted ninja suit with the peco-peco card on it, a slotted boots with the Matyr card on it, a slotted manteau still waiting for a card, a Matyr leash, and a slotted rosary with a kobold card and a handful of more items and cards on his inventory.

It takes few seconds and few area strikes to kill them all; Benji gathers the items and moves forward. In one hour Benji killed the dungeon boss and got a new card, he decides to walk the way back instead of using a butterfly wing to leave; Benji kills his way out as he killed his way in getting more needed experience for him to get that troublesome fifty level to change to assassin.

Near of the exit Benji hears shouting, he runs to the entry and finds a female novice tangled by a hydra and attacked by three thief bugs. "Somebody help me!" she screams in despair behind her shield. Benji kills the monsters rescuing the novice, he walks on her direction. "You really shouldn't be here." Benji said to her. "Unless you are in a high level, which you don't seem to be." The girl moans in pain, Benji kneels next to her. "Heal." He said touching her with his left hand.

She looks at him surprised. "But you are a thief!" she exclaimed. "I know that, anyway let's get out of here before they appear again and kill you this time." Benji said standing his hand to her. She takes his hand and they leave the ship.

On the island Benji takes a better look on her, she has shoulder long black hair and green eyes. "Anyway what you are doing here?" Benji asked while he sells the items that he doesn't want. "I ended here by mistake." She answered. "The Kafra lady from Payon warped me here instead of Prontera and I didn't have money to go back so I had to try to kill something to make the money."

That is a common Kafra accident. "How much you need?" Benji asked. "What?" she asked surprised. "I said how much you need to warp yourself to Prontera." Benji answered. "About…" She looks on her purse. "Two hundred zenys." Benji fishes the money from his pocket. "My god!" She exclaimed closing her eyes. Benji guessed that one of her close friends send her message. "Please Mr. Thief you need to help my friend!" She exclaimed holding on Benji's clothes. "She is being chased by hunter flies in Geffen!" "Okay let's go." Benji said moving to the Kafra and giving the waypoint.

Ten minutes later they are running on the first level of Geffen's dungeon with Benji with a large lead from the girl. He hears screams and sees another novice, this one with long blonde hair running from a large swarm of hunter bees. Benji draws his knife and passes by the girl using the magnum break until the large swarm of bees and the pack of poison spores are dead.

Benji sighs and begins to get the fallen items while the brunette novice is comforting her friend. After getting the spoils of his victory as well the so desired level Benji pushes the two novices out of the dungeon. Ten minutes later they are in an inn, the two novices are drinking some herbal tea to calm themselves while Benji is drinking some grape juice.

Benji finishes his juice and places few zenys on the table; he pulls a coin bag and places between the two novices. "In there it has fifteen hundred zenys; it is your share of the items that I get from your mobs." Benji said to the duo. "Expend wisely." "Wait!" the brunette said to him. "We can't take this money. You gained the items because you killed the monsters."

"Look I have a lot so I can give you two what you two deserve." Benji replied. "Then at least tell us your name." The blonde said. "I am Alexis and this is Isis." "Benji." Benji answered. "Benji Himura." "What is your level?" Alexis asked curious. "78/36/30/50." Benji answered casually. "Multi-class?" Isis asked. Benji nodded confirming.

Benji looks at Alexis violet eyes. "By the look on your eyes you want me to tank for you two, right?" Benji asked in a teasingly tone. "Yes." Alexis replied with a smile. "You mind?" "Not really but I am going to Morroc first." Benji said. "I have a changing to do." the novices nod and follow Benji.

Much later in Payon dungeon Benji now as an assassin is sited while a large mob of zombies and bats try to hit him failing while Isis and Alexis kill them. When the duo finally had enough for the day Benji finishes the mob off and the two get the items. They move to Payon's inn. "I can believe that we got this far so soon." Isis commented with a smile. "I can change to acolyte now." "And I to a swordswoman." Alexis said. Benji chuckled amused.

By the dinner the two novices chat excitedly about the soon to come promotion, Benji hears it wondering if he should continue to tank to the duo. On his room later on that evening Benji decided that he will if they want to.

In the morning they move to Izlude, a while later Alexis leaves the guild with swordswoman clothes, after few congratulations they move to Prontera so Isis can change to acolyte. Sometime later they are in Payon Alexis and Isis are killing undeads while Benji is the undeads target, it doesn't take long to the duo arrive on the hard to level levels, still they are very happy with their development. The two girls are content that they aren't so useless in combat anymore and can fight some monsters by themselves, still they stay near Benji.

Much later on that day Benji and the girls are staying on his usual inn in Amatsu. Alexis and Isis are in their bedroom sleeping after a tiresome day leveling up and celebrating. Benji is on his room drinking some sake looking at the blooming sakuras on his wandering days Benji moved to Amatsu and the rain of petals brought some comfort for him after his beloved friends left.

Benji is sited on the window frame looking at the trees with the cup on his hands, he is wearing only a pair of loose dark blue trousers and a same color sleeveless t-shirt. 'I hope that everything is alright with you two…' he thinks looking at the falling petals. He notices the Kafra lady of the city yawning on her post waiting for an adventurer to need her services.

Later on that night Benji wakes suddenly, tossing his pillow and covers away. He doesn't even look around before running out of the room and jumping out of the window wearing only his sleeping clothes, he runs out of Amatsu. "Agi up! Blessing! Angelus!" he shouts passing by the gates of the city.

'This isn't good…I have to get there in time…I have to…' he thinks running on the woods surrounding Amatsu. A woman's scream reaches his ears and Benji runs even faster. A kappa is chasing a teenager girl that is wearing a black skirt, a white shirt with a black sailor styled collar, black cuffs and a black ribbon on her chest.

'This is better work; the katar is a punching dagger…' "SONIC BLOW!" Benji shouts running pass the girl. All the eight hits hit on the kappa dead on; Benji knows that his attack is smaller because the lack of weapons and fires another one and another until the kappa is dead.

"Shit…" Benji curses under his breath seeing more kappas, karakasas, Miyabi ningyos and poporings moving at their direction. "You are better start running." Benji said to the girl. "Over there is the city, they won't follow you there." Benji looks at the path that he took; more monsters are coming from that way. "Well miss seem that I will have to kill everything other than us using only my hands." He said with a dry chuckle. "Move to that tree!" Benji exclaimed pushing her to a large tree. "Climb there and don't get down until I say so!" The girl nods and obey scared.

Benji turn his back to the tree and face the large mob. "My swordsman skills are useless with out a sword, my acolyte skills will keep me standing and my thief and sin skills will increase the damage and make me dodge the attacks…" he muttered as the horde nears him. "But is a very large mob and I won't be able to dodge everything…this will be hard…" Benji cracks his knuckles. "Damn the rush is here…I am excited…" he whispered licking his lips. "LET'S ROCK!" he shouted charging at the mob, if he is going to fall he will fall taking as many as he can.

End of the chapter two:

Please read and review. And I would like to thank everyone that is reading and reviewed this story. I am going to make two versions of this story, one with out explicit sex scenes and one with then; as well with sexual related omakes. The unedited version can be found in MediaMiner fanfiction page. The link is on my profile.


	4. Surprises

Hi this is Benji Himura I am starting a new fanfic. I don't own Ragnarok online I also don't own the characters of that story or the plot; taking out the changes that I will make and the characters that I will create. I own Benji Himura and others characters that will show up in the story. It might be violence and sex in the story so if you are underage of seventeen are warned the content might be too improper to your age. Read by your own will and risk. In anyway enjoy the story.

Signed: Benji Himura

"Text" Talked sentences.

'Text' Thoughts.

-Text- Sounds effects.

(Text) Talked sentences in a foreign language

: Text: Messages show in an electronic screen or written.

**Text**: something being recalled, flashbacks, scenes being replayed.

_Text_: a detail found in a location, scene, person, recording and images that originally wasn't there.

Chapter three: Surprises

Later on that night Benji wakes suddenly, tossing his pillow and covers away. He doesn't even look around before running out of the room and jumping out of the window wearing only his sleeping clothes, he runs out of Amatsu. "Agi up! Blessing! Angelus!" he shouts passing by the gates of the city.

'This isn't good…I have to get there in time…I have to…' he thinks running on the woods surrounding Amatsu. A woman's scream reaches his ears and Benji runs even faster. A kappa is chasing a teenager girl that is wearing a black skirt, a white shirt with a black sailor styled collar, black cuffs and a black ribbon on her chest.

'This is better work; the katar is a punching dagger…' "SONIC BLOW!" Benji shouts running pass the girl. All the eight hits hit on the kappa dead on; Benji knows that his attack is smaller because the lack of weapons and fires another one and another until the kappa is dead.

"Shit…" Benji curses under his breath seeing more kappas, karakasas, Miyabi ningyos and poporings moving at their direction. "You are better start running." Benji said to the girl. "Over there is the city, they won't follow you there." Benji looks at the path that he took; more monsters are coming from that way. "Well miss seem that I will have to kill everything other than us using only my hands." He said with a dry chuckle. "Move to that tree!" Benji exclaimed pushing her to a large tree. "Climb there and don't get down until I say so!" The girl nods and obey scared.

Benji turn his back to the tree and face the large mob. "My swordsman skills are useless with out a sword, my acolyte skills will keep me standing and my thief and sin skills will increase the damage and make me dodge the attacks…" he muttered as the horde nears him. "But is a very large mob and I won't be able to dodge everything…this will be hard…" Benji cracks his knuckles. "Damn the rush is here…I am excited…" he whispered licking his lips. "LET'S ROCK!" he shouted charging at the mob, if he is going to fall he will fall taking as many as he can.

Benji attacks the closer Miyabi ningyo with a sonic blow. Benji keeps attacking and dodging furiously hitting all the monsters with a combination of sonic blows, punches, elbow hits, knee hits, kicks, shoulder and body tackles. Benji ignores the pain of his knuckles bleeding and the flesh there ripping with the large number of high speed strikes against hard enemies.

Benji heals and boosts himself while taking down many monsters, but all the heals, boosts and sonic blows are draining his SP and he doesn't have anything to replenish it once is gone. One of Benji's punches explodes a poporing and Benji finds himself holding a main gauche. While it isn't the best weapon possible it was better than bare fists.

Benji's hit rate increases with the knife; still he uses all the other physical attacks. The girl watches everything from the safety of the tree shocked with everything. Another poporing dies leaving another main gauche that Benji happily uses on his left hand; now with a bladed weapon he can use some swordsmen skills to damage more enemies and used well that will reduce the time of the fight.

Much later the field is quiet, Benji is pressing his back against the tree trunk with his arms hanging loosely on his sides, with the knifes barely still on his loose and tired grip. The only thing still alive on the field is a poporing that is busy collecting the fallen items. Benji takes deep breaths, blood is running on his face from small cuts on his face and scalp, his arms and chest are also bleeding from many wounds of different levels of gravity.

Benji knows that he barely made thru the fight, his last drop of SP was long used and he could tell that he wouldn't get more soon, his HP was very low and his increased healing wasn't working. Benji kneels and pick a fallen white potion and drink it to restore some of his health.

When feeling better Benji kills the last poporing and gets the loot; he wasn't going to leave that battle empty handed. "You can come down now." Benji said to the girl. She nods and obeys carefully looking around seeing that everything was clear. "Let's get out of here…" he said to her, she nods and follows as he walks back to Amatsu. Benji would wake Isis and ask for some heals, then he would move to his room and sleep thru the next day.

Of course that didn't happen with the girl not wanting to leave him, after being healed by the sleepy acolyte Benji moves to his room with the girl following him close. Benji tosses himself on the bed not caring about his current state of dirtiness; he was too tired to care.

Too soon for Benji's liking he is waken by Isis, Alexis and the girl that he aided on the night before. "Thank you for rescuing me yesterday." The girl says to Benji bowing politely. "I am forever in debt with you."

Benji rubs his eyes trying to rub the sleep away, he sighs inwardly feeling the roughness of the back of his hands and his knuckles because of the severe damage from the previous night. "You are welcome." Benji replied looking at the girl more carefully, she has blond sand blonde hair that reaches to the middle of her back and red eyes. "My name is Arashikage Haruka."

Benji notices the way that the girl introduced herself. "Alexis, Isis mind in going to the store and get some new clothes for me?" he asked to the acolyte and swordswoman. "Not at all, let's go Isis." Alexis replied guiding her friend out of the room. "You are Japanese right?" Benji asked to Haruka few moments after Alexis and Isis left. Haruka eyes go as wide as plates looking at him.

"My, my, it is seems that I wasn't the only one to come here." Benji commented with a bitter smile. "As you I am not from this place." "You too?" She asked. "But you seem to be very used and comfortable with everything." "Because I got help on the beginning and accepted this condition with the help of my friends." Benji replied. "But meeting you brings some hope to me; if you also came it means that there might be a way for us to get return."

"Where are we?" Haruka asked. "We are in Rune-Midgard." Benji answered. "From our world this is the world of the online game called Ragnarok, however I am beginning to think that this is a parallel world or dimension that the creator of the game saw and based the game on it."

Haruka looks at him shocked. "I don't understand." She said clenching her hands on her skirt. "Don't try to understand, just accept that you are in a new world." Benji replied standing up. "You aren't alone and if you want you can travel with me and my friends, before you notice you will even be enjoying everything."

Haruka nods looking at the floor, she was still having a hard time to understand everything. "I know that is a bit overwhelming, you can sit down and think about it, I will go take a bath because I really need one." Benji said moving to the bathroom.

Haruka sits on the bed and looks at the closed bathroom door, she was still trying to digest everything, less than one day ago she was having a normal life, going to school and having a boring normal day, now it was all chaos; not counting the near death experience on the woods when Benji suddenly came out of the nowhere to rescue her from the danger.

She looks at a small desk in a wall and sees the two main gauches that he used when fighting, she can also see the dark dry blood that hours before were soaking the handles, the even darker dry blood on the blades and many blood drops on the floor. She walks to the desk and holds one of the daggers, looking at it recalling the last night events. She can hear the sound of the running water filtering from the closed bathroom door.

While she had trouble processing all the information that she got from Benji never once she doubted of his words, she knew that it was real, when she ran from the kappa she felt his fishing hook cutting her whenever he got close enough to attack, she was lucky that it was just light grazes still she knew that it wasn't a dream or a nightmare.

She saw Benji's state after the long fight, he punched away all the flesh from his knuckles against those monsters and all the other body parts that he used to fight also was hurt because of the attacks now counting the uncountable wounds from the fight, it wasn't a trick or even a stupid show. When Isis healed them she felt the energy and the wound closing and saw the same happening to Benji, while his knuckles healed she could tell that it would take a long while until the skin there regained the smoothness and softness that it once had.

She had no idea of how Benji knew that she was in danger or that she was in that particular area of the forest, while she accepted his word that he was in the same situation that she is, she had few doubts about it, he was so natural when fighting, so used to everything, not even shocked with the horde of monsters.

She wondered how many years he is trapped on that world to not be surprised with those monsters. Benji walks out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. "If you want you can take a bath." He said to Haruka while moving to his backpack. Haruka nods placing the dagger on the desk before moving to the bathroom.

Half an hour later Haruka is wearing a female novice clothes, Benji is using his spare sleeping attire ready to return to his bed or at least one of the girls' beds while his is going to be cleaned. "Now you girls go out and have fun." Benji said to the trio. "You are not coming?" Haruka asked meekly. "I am still tired." Benji answered. "Alexis and Isis are in a good level to tank for you, they will make sure that nothing bad happens to you."

"It won't be as much fun with out you." Alexis commented looking at Benji. "You mean that you actually have to take some damage this time." Benji teased. Alexis had the decency to blush at his words, even thought it was true. "You three stick in someplace not so dangerous but in a good level for Haruka level up soon and she can change to the class that she wants." Benji said to Isis and Alexis.

"We are thinking in hitting the toy factory." Isis commented. "If she kills a pairs of cookies she will be on the changing level in a second." Benji nods understanding and sees the trio leaving. One of the inn maids changes his bed sheets and Benji moves to the bed to get some more sleep.

Benji's rest doesn't last long when someone knocks on the door, Benji tries to ignore the person hoping that it will go away and return later; to his dismay the person continues to knock. Benji sits on the bed and runs his fingers on his hair, he curses under his breath and walks to the door.

Benji opens the door and see one of the Kafra ladies standing there with a young swordswoman. "Benji Himura?" the light purple haired Kafra lady asked. "Yes." Benji answered trying not to sound tired. "I have a parcel for you from assassin Mana and the crusader Shina." She said in a formal tone. "Please sign here."

Benji nods feeling a bit better since it was from his friends, he signs the document and gives few zenys to the Kafra lady as tip. "And her?" Benji asked pointing to the swordswoman. "She was also to be delivered to you." the Kafra answered. "More details are in one of the letters in the parcel. The swordswoman bows politely to Benji; the Kafra lady does the same before leaving.

Few minutes later Benji is sited on his bed with the swordswoman looking at him in a chair. Benji opened the parcel and is looking for the mentioned letters inside it, so far he found a Sucsamad, an Assassin dagger, a pair of black cat ears, and a handful of small accessories.

"I don't see a letter in here." Benji muttered after he emptied the box on his bed. "Excuse me." The swordswoman said. "They are with me." She hands to Benji two envelopes, one of them considerably thin while the other is very thick. Benji takes the letters and thanks her. "You should begin with the thin one." She added; Benji nodded understanding.

After five minutes Benji finishes reading the thinner letter, back and front of two pages. "So you are Shina's sister?" Benji asked to the girl. "Yes." she replied nodding. The girl has short bluish black hair and blue eyes, unlike Shina that has long reddish black hair and dark green eyes. "I am Ami." She said bowing. "Please look over me." Benji nods absent minded.

On the letter Shina was asking him to team up and protect her little sister because she felt that wasn't safe leave her alone now that Ami became an adventurer and the war of her guild, since Shina is somehow high ranked there Ami could be a target for their enemies. Benji is quite content that she trusts that much on him to ask him to look over her still rookie sister, but doubts of his skill to do so.

Ami's clothes are dyed in a nice dark sky blue color. "You are in which level?" Benji asked to her. "I am 15 on the base and 5 on the job." Ami answered. Benji looks at her surprised. "You weren't tanked?" he asked surprised. "I wanted to evolve on my own strength…but it took too long…" she answered a bit down, while it isn't all that surprising that a novice leveled up on his or her own killing weak monsters that takes a long time.

"And I only leveled up my VIT." Ami said looking down. Benji can easily see that she got a good level of HP but she is too weak to kill anything worth to level up and she most likely misses monsters with a slightly higher level. Benji puts the presents back in the box with both letters. "We will be going to get you some levels." Benji said storing the box on his backpack. "Now wait outside while I dress up." She nods excited and leaves the bedroom.

Ten minutes later Benji leaves not wearing the usual assassin clothes, he is wearing more normal clothes over his equipment with a long coat over it. "Let's move." He said to Ami. "Why you aren't wearing your assassin clothes?" Ami asked. "Because I prefer using normal ones, it calls much less attention." Benji answered. "Anyway we are going to

Payon dungeon."

After few hours Benji and Ami are taking a break and having a late lunch in one of Payon's inns. "I can't believe how fast I am leveling." Ami commented while cutting her steak. "I told you that it gets much easier when you have someone tanking you." Benji replied sipping some grape juice. "Twenty levels in five hours isn't a bad mark." Ami nods agreeing.

Benji looks at the swordswoman hiding his tiredness and lack of energy, while he didn't do more that tossing stones to provoke monsters to attack him and dodge the monsters he is still feeling the after effects of the fight to protect Haruka. Benji finishes his grape juice and orders a lemon juice that should give him more energy.

Ami is cheerfully eating content that she is leveling up and she isn't paying for the meal, while Benji is paying for it Shina added a handful of zenys as the initial expenses around Ami. And on Shina's and Mana's standards a handful is a little over one million zenys. Benji is drinking his juice in silence while thinking if he should look around the mercs and see if he finds a good set of slotted armor for Ami. He was quite surprised when Ami told him that all that she got was a leather jacket, a cheap lunatic drop sword, a Fabre drop club and a baby savage drop axe, not counting many of the usual drop items of them that the first thing that Benji did was sell everything that Ami had.

Ami protested a little but in the end gave up and allowed Benji to strip her from everything that she had collected until then, followed to a visit to the closer Kafra lady where Benji withdraw from his depot a wood mail, a guard, a pair of boots and a katana for Ami use. But those are rather basic items and he would get her some good ones as soon they found something. Benji eats some meat with the lemon juice while Ami orders for another steak.

After the lunch Benji and Ami move to Prontera to shop her new weapons since she is now on a level where she can get more powerful and elemental items. After one hour Ami is now with a large smile equipped with her new and more powerful weapons and armor. "Where we are going now!" Ami asked eager to try her new equipment. "Lutie." Benji answered. "We will be hitting the toy factory and meeting the other members of my party." Ami nods with a large smile. "Here take this and go buy some pots for you." he said to her. "Hai!" Ami exclaimed running to one merc that she saw the cheaper pots. "We meet on the main square near of the Kafra!" Benji shouted to her. "Hai!" Ami exclaimed turning a corner.

Benji chuckled running his fingers thru his hair. "She is for sure energetic." He muttered sitting on a bench. "And she is also excited about this, I wonder if all the fresh novices and first jobs are like that." Benji closes his eyes and sighs feeling the pleasant breeze. "I wonder if Mana and Shina are having fun now."

End of the chapter three:

Please read and review. And I would like to thank everyone that is reading and reviewed this story. I am going to make two versions of this story, one with out explicit sex scenes and one with then; as well with sexual related omakes. The unedited version can be found in MediaMiner fanfiction page. The link is on my profile.


	5. One man war, call to arms

Hi this is Benji Himura I am starting a new fanfic. I don't own Ragnarok online I also don't own the characters of that story or the plot; taking out the changes that I will make and the characters that I will create. I own Benji Himura and others characters that will show up in the story. It might be violence and sex in the story so if you are underage of seventeen are warned the content might be too improper to your age. Read by your own will and risk. In anyway enjoy the story.

Signed: Benji Himura

"Text" Talked sentences.

'Text' Thoughts.

-Text- Sounds effects.

(Text) Talked sentences in a foreign language

: Text: Messages show in an electronic screen or written.

**Text**: something being recalled, flashbacks, scenes being replayed.

_Text_: a detail found in a location, scene, person, recording and images that originally wasn't there.

Chapter four: One man war, call to arms

After few minutes in the bench Benji stands up and moves to the main square of Prontera where he will meet Ami. He moves by smaller streets avoiding the overfilled main street. A young novice with short brown hair bumps on him, she let out a wail of surprise and pain when she falls on her behind. Benji sees a baby savage charging at their direction and understand what happened.

Benji pulls the girl back to her feet. "Heal." He said, the girl heals up and Benji also use the blessing and the agility up on her. "Now try again." She nods with a smile and fights with the monster again. It takes a couple of minutes and another heal but the girl defeats the baby savage.

"Thank you!" she exclaimed cheerfully hugging Benji. "You are welcome." He replied. "Now you shouldn't try attacking monsters that you can't defeat yet, stick with fabres and lunatics." She nods blushing releasing Benji. "Here have some apples." He said handing to her a bag filled with apples. "Just in case that you need it." he adds winking at her.

"Thank you!" she exclaimed with a large smile while stuffing the apples on her backpack. "Now be careful in picking your enemies so you won't run scared and bump in someone." Benji scolded playfully. The novice blushes embarrassed at his words. "I am sorry for bumping on you!" she exclaimed bowing. "It is okay, just be more careful on the future." Benji said to her, he rummage thru his inventory. "Here a little something that you can use." He added handing to her an eggshell. "Thank you!" she exclaimed glowing with delight, putting on the eggshell. "Thank you for everything." She added giving a peck on Benji's cheek and running away. Benji chuckles lightly. "Well it seems that all novices are energetic." He said walking to the main square.

Benji sees a group of four rogues walking by the street, moving chatting loudly. Normally that wouldn't be anything that would worry Benji; however in the middle of the conversation all of them activate the stalk skill. 'That can't be good.' Benji thinks looking at them. 'Wait a second that is the same direction that the novice went!"

Benji runs to that direction and when near of a wall activates his hiding skill. He hears a shriek and runs to that direction; he recognized the voice of the novice. He finds the group on an alley; the four rogues are pressing the novice against the wall. One of them is holding her hands above her head, the others are hissing things on the line of how fun it will be and how the will enjoy it.

"Grimtooth!" Benji hissed holding a pair of katars. The bone like pillars attacks all the rogues. Benji leaves the hiding and attacks them. "Venom splasher!" Benji hits one of the rogues and moves to the others using the same attack. "Backstab!" An unknown voice shouts from behind Benji.

Benji feels the blade piercing his back. He falls on the ground and another rogue is standing there. "This one won't bother anymore. It was a good thing that I decided to stay cloaked." He said looking at the others. "Let's get out of here with our prize." The others nod and leave taking the novice with them. "Heal…" Benji hissed seeing them leaving. His wounds heal and Benji stands up. He clicks his tongue angrily and runs after the rogues.

One of the rogues coughs violently and his wound rots quickly, finally his body swells and he his blood vessels explode hurting the others with a mix of nearly boiling acidic blood poison. The leader of the rogues, the one that stabbed Benji and is holding the novice curses loudly. "Goddamn assassins and theirs techniques!" "Boss what about us!" the others asked scared. "None of you are feeling bad or is coughing so you all must be fine." He said in a harsh tone to them. "Let's leave the city soon and get to our guild fortress." The others nod scared and follow him.

A couple of minutes later Benji finds the corpse of the rogue. "It worked." He whispered looking at the corpse that was looted by his companions. "So the next one should be dying in ten seconds." Benji runs following the bloody footprints of the others. As Benji predicted in ten seconds another rogue explodes wounding more the others.

After one hour and another rogue dying the remaining two arrive in a castle like structure. Benji followed them close. 'That isn't a guild castle.' He thinks seeing the place; however he could see a guild flag, not the guarding robots. 'This isn't like the game so there must be many more smaller castles like this. And I am sure that the guild inside it isn't all that big.'

Benji can hear many screams of surprise when the last of the rogues that Benji wounded explodes inside the guild infecting many more. Benji uses the distraction of the guards and breaks thru the closing gates. He sees the guards running to see what happened and the gates just closed behind him.

The rogue leader walked away from the corpse leaving the others to deal with it, he moves deeper on the fortress. Benji uses his acolyte boosting skills and begins his assault against the fortress hitting first the acolytes and priests. Chaos reign on the fortress while all the members of the guild move to repel or kill the aggressor.

Benji fights fiercely aiming only on vital spots like the neck, armpit, face, forehead and groin, hitting hard on unarmored parts in order to kill faster and not be killed by them. With out the priest class members to heal and buff it makes the defenders hesitate to attack Benji who uses that hesitation to strike hard with the venom splasher, magnum break, bash and throwing stones at the mages, sages and other mage classes to break their castings.

A pile of corpses forms at Benji's feet as he kills those who near him and his venom splasher kill more of them with the poison explosions. "Lord of Vermilion!" A group of wizards shout ar one. "Teleportation!" Benji shouts disappearing one second before the massive spell hits him. Benji grins widely finding himself on the middle of the wizards' formation.

"Venom splasher!" Benji shouted slashing one of them. "Magnum Break! Venom dust! Magnum break! Teleportation!" Benji vanishes once again and the wizard hit by the venom splasher explodes infecting more of them in a chain reaction that kills them all. Benji appears in the middle of the swordsmen's class formation. "Venom dust! Teleportation!" Benji shouts.

Many of the swordsmen shouts as the poison wound them. Benji is on an open area near of the former mage class formation. "Double strife!" all the archer class members shout firing at Benji.

Many of the arrows hit Benji's back while he dodges around seventy percent of them. "Arrow shower!" the group shouts. Benji charges at them and activated the hiding. "Grimtooth!" he shouts as the bone pillars attack most of the archers breaking the cast. Benji attacks again before calling out the hiding and charging at the archers in a fury of blades and venom.

The remaining members of all the class are now pressing against Benji that is fighting now with a sword from a fallen knight. Benji is on the top of a growing mountain of corpses using that high ground to attack the defenders that are trying to reach him. Most of his clothes ripped and his armor is also badly damaged, his katars and daggers too.

Benji casts a teleportation when seeing a wizard casting something on the corpses' mountain. Benji is now near of the door that leads to the inner part of the fortress, his mission isn't to kill them all, but rescue the novice.

Benji heals his wounds after chewing a handful of blue herbs. "Halt!" a swordsman shouts to Benji pointing a spear to him. Benji charges at the swordsman and dodges the spear thrust and grabs the swordsman face with his left hand and stabs him on the chest, repeatedly, hard until he is dead. Benji releases the dead and bloody swordsman and keeps running.

"Arrow shower!" a small group of archers shout when Benji turns a corner. Benji curses and back-slides avoiding most of arrows. Benji charges at the corner again and the shout of arrow shower sounds again. Benji slides under the massive wall of arrows ramming against the closest archer class fighters' legs. Benji casts the venom dust and draws his Sucsamad and begins to kill the archers that are trying to resist the attack while poisoned and trying not to hit their guild companions, while Benji doesn't have to worry in restraining his movements.

Soon the pack is dead; Benji is breathing hard standing on the middle of the lake of blood and corpses. Benji moves from the corpses looking to the path before him. Benji doesn't find anyone else on the fortress and wonders if he killed everyone other than the rogue that entered with the novice.

Benji opens a door and sees a large room filled with female adventurers chained on large beds, nearly all of them are either naked or with their clothes torn and all of them are covered in sperm. Benji feels his blood boil and is content of killing all of them, he looks around and finds the novice chained in one of the beds, unlike the others she is fully dressed and is unconscious.

The others are blindfolded and gagged. "Back stab!" Benji shouts in pain feeling a dagger stabbing his back again. The rogue appears with a huge grin on his lips. "You get distracted really easily." He taunts Benji. Benji back-slides hitting the rogue's chest with his back, the rogue is surprised with the very unusual attack. Benji spins over the ball of his feet and stabs downwards with his Sucsamad. The rogue blocks it with his Damascus. Sparks fly with the contact.

Benji snarls furiously continuing stabbing the rogue with his knifes making the rogue suffer to block and parry all the attacks. The rogue back slides and fires at Benji an arrow, Benji jumps out of the way of the arrow and dashes at the rogue. "Bye-bye sucker." The rogue said back sliding.

A bomb lands near Benji, he turns back and run but it goes off and the blast hits him. Benji hits a wall hard and falls sited with his back pressed against the wall. Benji coughs some blood. "Man I hate to see that all our work went down the drain thanks to that fucker." An alchemist said walking in the room. "I say the same." The rogue said leaving his shelter. "How many survivors?"

"Other than you and me?" the alchemist asked. "Yes." the rogue answered. "None." The alchemist said. "All our swordsmen, archers, acolytes and mages were killed, that not counting your group of rogues and the handful merchant class members that we had. That assassin made worth of his class."

The rogue curses loudly glaring at Benji. "He isn't much of a threat now." The rogue said looking at Benji. "Want chain him up and torture him?" "I am on it." the alchemist replied. Benji chuckles with blood seeping by his mouth. "Not…even…on your dreams…" he said tossing at them a metal sphere. The alchemist picks it up. "You know that this is only an iron ball?" he said to Benji. "It isn't dangerous at all unless you tossed on our heads." The rogue laughs at the alchemist words and looks at the ball.

Benji smiles seeing the duo close of the ball. "Boom." He said rolling on his side. "Boom?" the alchemist said confused. A thin line of smoke escapes by a tiny hole on the ball. "It is a bomb!" the rogue shouted, however it was too late and the bomb went off shredding both of them with its shrapnel.

Benji forces himself to seat, he chuckles looking at the bloody mass that once were a rogue and an alchemist. Benji coughs hard and more blood leaves his mouth. "I guess…that this…is…it…" he whispered looking at the pile. "…I guess…that…I let them…down…"

A dancer walks over the bloody pile and looks down to Benji. "Y…you are…finishing...me off…?" he asked looking at her. "…I killed…all…of…them…" "I guess that you are confusing me with one of them." The dancer said to Benji. "I am a woman and I am not part of that guild. I was hired by that alchemist to aid on his party and we were supposed to get the rest of his party here. But from what I can see here it was a trap to lure me here and rape me."

She kneels next to Benji, pulling a white potion from her bag. "So if I am doing anything to you is heal you." she added opening the potion and helping him to drink it. Benji chokes on the first mouthful of the potion. "Easy!" she shouted to him. "I don't know the extension of your wounds but I am sure that they are critical! Drink slowly!"

After drinking the potion she aids him to stand ignoring the bloody mess that Benji is on the moment. "I think that one of those girls is an acolyte or a priest." She said looking on the beds. "You are a thief class so use your skills to open the locks." Benji nods weakly. After two minutes Benji freed one of the girls, the dancer is comforting her while Benji is working in another lock. After ten minutes they found a priestess that accepted to heal Benji after the dancer explained what happened. Two of the girls there are thieves that once recovering from the initial shock took over the duty of releasing the others.

"I never saw anyone so hurt before." The priestess said while removing many broken arrows from Benji's back. "He went against this guild all by himself, I am shocked that he is still alive." The dancer replied comforting two more girls. "For sure one of the girls must be a friend or family for him to make him fight this fiercely."

It takes ten more minutes to all the girls be freed and hear with happiness that their rapists and torturers are all dead. "Anyone knows him?" the dancer asked to the girls pointing at Benji. All the girls deny knowing him. "I don't really know him." The unharmed novice said. "I accidentally bumped on him this morning and he healed me and gave me some apples and this egg shell."

While that kind of thing isn't all that uncommon among high level adventurers the dancer is shocked with her words. "You did all this for a girl that you don't even know!" she shouted grabbing Benji's shirt remains and shaking him. "You killed everyone here and nearly killed yourself for a total stranger!"

"Dancer-san stop!" the priestess exclaimed holding the dancer's wrists. "He is still quite weak after this battle, I might have healed his wounds but he is still tired." The dancer sighs loudly. "I can't believe on this!" she exclaimed. "You are a fucking hero or something like that!"

"…And they say that a hero can save us…" Benji sang in a low tone. The dancer's ears perks at the words and the rhythm of it. "I am not going to stand here and wait…" "I hold on to the wings of the heroes watching they all fly away…" The dancer sang from where he stopped, her eyes simmering with tears as she looks to Benji. "ACK!" Benji gasped when the dancer tossed herself on him hugging him tightly and sobbing on his chest.

The others look around embarrassed. After many minutes crying the dancer calms down and wipes her tears. "I think that we should try to find some clothes for you gals." She said to them. "You gals feel free to loot the corpses." Benji added. He knew that wasn't much but it would give them some payback against those men.

All of them leave the room taking out the novice. "Why you did this?" she asked to him. "You tried to rescue me in Prontera too." "I just can't don't do anything in that kind of situation." Benji replied forcing himself to sit on the bed. "I know that for all the others I delivered them some revenge against those men and make possible their escape. I am content solely with the fact that my actions prevented someone else from suffering the same fate."

The girl blushes deeply. "You are not the only one." The priestess that healed him said walking in wearing a male novice clothes, still stained with blood. "We are all happy that you prevented others from suffering what we did. And you saved us all from continue suffering that daily."

All the other girls that were chained nod agreeing, a total of twenty three female adventurers, mages, priestess, acolytes, thieves, swordswomen, a knight, a monk, wizards, archers, hunters, a couple of merchant class and sages too.

"We are all in debt with you." the monk said to Benji. "We are your to command." The female knight hands to Benji an emperium crystal. "We found that emperium crystal among the belongings of one of the knights of this guild." The dancer said to him. "Go on. Create your guild, because you earned that right today."

Benji nods covering the crystal with both of his hands after standing up. "Then from now on we are the Seiryu's legion." He said to them, all of them cheer loudly at his words. "So leader what is our first job?" the knight asked to Benji. Benji scratches the back of his head. "I guess that we should begin cleaning up the castle." He commented looking around. "Getting rid of the corpses and washing away the bloodstains."

"He is right, after a while this place will stink if it isn't properly cleaned." A mage commented. "And it will be a good exercise after being chained for so long." They all cheer and begin to work. "So what about we go store that crystal on the emperium room?" the dancer asked to Benji. He nods agreeing and they move to the mentioned room, after destroying the crystal from the now dead guild Benji places his own crystal there.

"I have the feeling that I am forgetting something." Benji muttered as they walk away from the room. "Like how I know Nickleback's Hero song?" the dancer asked to him. "It is not that." Benji answered deep in thought. "That means that you aren't from here too. It is something more mundane than that."

"You seem really calm to someone that just found that." the dancer commented casually. "You are the first person from earth that I meet here in one year." "Well for me you are the second in two months." Benji commented frowning trying hard to remember what he forgot. "SECOND!" the dancer shouted in shock. "When you met the other one!"

"Just last night." Benji answered. "Two of my party members are tanking her now…FUCK!" Benji runs thru the halls with the dancer and the novice following him. "What is wrong!" The dancer asked worried. "I forgot all about Ami!" Benji shouted his answer while running. "She is waiting me in Prontera's main square! I forgot about meeting her trying to rescue the novice!"

Half an hour later Benji arrives on the main square and sees Ami pacing near of one of the benches angry; the dancer stops near Benji breathing a bit harder. "Damn you for sure boosted your AGI." She muttered bending forward a little and supporting her hands on her knees. The novice is panting and sits on the ground tired and covered with sweat. "…I…need…more…VIT…" she whispered between breaths.

"Where was you!" Ami shouted marching at Benji, clearly not noticing the torn state of his clothes, armors and the fact that he is covered with blood. "I was waiting here over two hours!"

"I was busy." Benji answered in a level tone. "I am sorry, I got caught up in something and I forgot that I was going to meet you here." "You forgot!" Ami exclaimed. "You told me to wait here and you forgot about it!" "Easy there girl!" The dancer snapped at Ami. "Your assassin friend there got involved in a very serious situation and was fighting until a short while ago. Calm down and look at his state!" Ami closes her mouth with a snap and looks at Benji, and then her jaw hits the ground seeing the ragged and torn state of Benji's clothes and armors.

"What happened!" She asked in shock covering her mouth with her hands. "He was in a guild war just by himself against a guild with a little over seventy members." The dancer answered for him. "Guild war?" Ami asked confused, she looks a little closer of him. "You are now in a guild!" she exclaimed.

The dancer chuckled. "Look closer girl, he isn't in a guild." She said in a mix of teasingly and casual tone. "He is the guild master." "You was out to create a guild!" Ami exclaimed angrily. "No." Benji replied. "I was fighting a guild; the idea of creating a guild wasn't mine."

"However he went along it after he killed all the guild members of that guild that he fought and is now the leader of his own guild; Seiryu's legion." The dancer said with a large smile and a rather flashy bow and arms movement pointing at the war torn Benji. "Fine and who are those two?" Ami asked pointing to the dancer and the novice. "I don't know their names." Benji replied. "I met them a while ago."

"I am Makie." The dancer said with a smile. "I am a dancer and also a member of the newly created Seiryu's legion." "I am Sara." The novice said bowing politely. "Please don't be so harsh with Benji-sama; he just rescued me and many others." "Rescued?" Ami asked confused. "I am lost."

"I explain in a while." Benji replied. "Right now let's go to the toy factory so I can get the others and tell the story only once to everyone." Ami nodded agreeing not knowing who the others are.

End of the chapter four:

Author post story notes;

I am adding many more of those smaller guild castles on the story, they don't have a dungeon. The new smaller castles are more like downgraded version of the original guild castles and are mostly made as a headquarters for a guild. The smaller guild castles are usually made by a guild as a location were all the members can rest and they can safely stay while plotting to take over on one of the large and official castles.

Unlike the official castles the smaller ones don't have the ability to have the robot guards, however in larger guilds smaller castles a Kafra lady might be assigned to it if a monthly fee is paid for her services, the fee being twice bigger than the one for the official castles. The small castles are a mix of a headquarters; barracks, training area and whatever else the guild members want and can afford to put on the castle perimeter. As a guild small castle that one of the guild members is a famous blacksmith know for his near perfect elemental weapons could have a forgery there so he could work there and take orders from his fellow guild members and from outsiders.

Small guild castles are also registered with the kingdom government and a list of them and the guild that own the castles also appears there listed by the order of the oldest to the newer. Normal rules of the Guild war don't apply to the small castles, only the ones related to the emperium apply. A guild can be driven off its castle by destroying the emperium, making all the members flee with the emperium or by killing all the guild members of that guild followed by the destruction of the emperium. Other unique features of the small castles will be displayed as the story advances.

Please read and review. And I would like to thank everyone that is reading and reviewed this story. I am going to make two versions of this story, one with out explicit sex scenes and one with then; as well with sexual related omakes. The unedited version can be found in MediaMiner fanfiction page. The link is on my profile.


	6. Afterwards

Hi this is Benji Himura I am starting a new fanfic. I don't own Ragnarok online I also don't own the characters of that story or the plot; taking out the changes that I will make and the characters that I will create. I own Benji Himura and others characters that will show up in the story. It might be violence and sex in the story so if you are underage of seventeen are warned the content might be too improper to your age. Read by your own will and risk. In anyway enjoy the story.

Signed: Benji Himura

"Text" Talked sentences.

'Text' Thoughts.

-Text- Sounds effects.

(Text) Talked sentences in a foreign language

: Text: Messages show in an electronic screen or written.

**Text**: something being recalled, flashbacks, scenes being replayed.

_Text_: a detail found in a location, scene, person, recording and images that originally wasn't there.

Chapter five: Afterwards

One hour later in Geffen Benji finished telling the tale to Ami, Haruka, Alexis and Isis. The girls look at him with shocked expressions, while it was hard to believe his torn armor and clothes were enough testimony to that, not to mention that Makie testified over the battle even thought she only saw the very end of it, seeing the result were enough for her.

"I find that very hard to believe." Alexis muttered drinking some orange juice. "A rapist guild…" "But it is true." Makie replied. "And if you think a bit isn't all that uncommon or strange, guild castles are very secluded and far from anyone that could hear the screams, it is also zones that are aren't policed by the guards making it a perfect location to that kind of illicit actions."

"And with the large number of rookies adventurers deaths when facing monsters too strong to their level no one would notice that the female adventurers were being kidnapped and kept as slaves in a guild castle. Many times when an adventurer died his body stays in wherever he or she died until it rots or monsters eat it." Benji continued.

"Fine we understand that is possible but not why you are a guild master for those girls?" Isis asked to Benji. "They asked me to do it and considering what they suffered I thought that would be better to them that I accepted their offer, they need the support and the understanding that the others can give, so the guild give them some stability and the feeling that they aren't alone on that." Benji answered. "It will be easier to them to get over that incident if they have support."

The girls nod understanding; it made sense in an odd and complex way. "Anyway can we join it?" Alexis asked. "Sure." Benji replied. "More merrier." The girls cheer at his answer. "Anyway I am going to visit a mastersmith and ask to him repair my equipment." Benji said standing up. "A mastersmith?" Alexis asked confused, she never heard Benji mentioning a mastersmith to her. "He is a friend of a friend of mine, he upgraded my equipment so I am asking to him if he can repair it." Benji replied. "You girls go down the dungeon and tank a little for Sara and Ami." The girls nod silently.

After ten minutes Benji enters in a smith store. "Welcome!" A female blacksmith says to Benji a cheerful tone, her clothes are black and her hair is on a bright green color. "What can I do for you?" She takes a better look on Benji and gasps. "Master!" she shouted running a door in the back of the store. "You have to come here!"

"What is wrong Midori?" a tall red haired man in dark red mastersmith clothes asked leaving the room. "Look!" she exclaimed pointing at Benji. "It is him!" "Geez Midori that is how you treat a costumer?" the red haired mastersmith said. "I am sorry for my pupil reaction Benji." he said turning to Benji.

"I don't really mind since I was going to ask her to call you." Benji replied casually. "But why she is acting like that Ramirez?" Ramirez chuckles. "I guess that the words 'your reputation precedes you' suit this moment and the fact that your reputation is unknown ever to you." he said with a smile. "Few hours ago we received a global message speaking of the Great Blue Dragon General Benji Himura of the newly created Seiryu's legions that alone defeated all the seventy six members of the Wasted Years guild in less than one hour and a half. You are now really famous."

"Great blue dragon general?" Benji asked surprised, while the title blue dragon general wasn't bad the great part was a bit too much. "Well the great is an addition that I heard; the title is only blue dragon general." Ramirez commented. "I can see that the feat took a serious toll on your equipment." Benji nods agreeing. "Everything is damaged, even my +10 boxers."

"I must say that those were a master piece." Ramirez commented. "Every man needs to protect his balls." "Amen to that." Benji replied. "Well let's move to the back and you hand me everything so I can repair it." Ramirez said leading Benji to the back workshop. "So any news from Mana and Shina?" Benji asked casually. Ramirez nods sideways. "None, but no news are better than bad news." He replied, Benji nods agreeing.

Ten minutes later Benji is taking a shower in a bathroom deeper on the store, washing away all the blood and sweat from his body. Midori enters on the bathroom holding a set of clothes, she looks at his back; it is covered with scars that the heal haven't fully healed, all the wounds there are marked with scars, both backstabs, all the arrow wounds, slashes and fragments from attacks.

"Mind in not staring?" Benji said looking at the wall ahead of him not looking at Midori. "Sorry!" Midori squealed. "The fresh set of clothes is over the sink!" she places the clothes on the dry sink and leaves the bathroom. Benji sighs placing his hands on the wall and lowering his head. "I am tired…" he muttered looking at the reddish water going down the drain.

Twenty minutes later Benji is on Ramirez's workshop holding his Sakkat. "I am sorry kid but that is beyond repair." Ramirez said with a sympathetic smile, he knows that the Sakkat was a gift from Mana and Benji treasured the items that the assassin and the crusader gave to him on their short time together. The Sakkat is with many cuts and dents on it, a very large one was on the left side of the hat were a knight hitted it with a bowling bash, while Benji dodged the strike it damaged the Sakkat.

"Everything else can be recovered to the former power." Ramirez said. "If you want I can get you a new Sakkat by a friendly price." Benji denies nodding sideways. "Thank you but no thank you." Benji replied looking at the damaged hat on his hands. "This can't be replaced." Benji places the hat on his inventory.

"Come back in a couple of hours and everything will be fully repaired." Ramirez said. "And if you want I can upgrade your Sucsamad." "Please do." Benji replied handing the dagger to Ramirez. "Want to take a look in our inventory and see anything to replace the Sakkat?" Ramirez asked. "No thank you." Benji answered. "I will take a walk; maybe catch some sleep on the inn." Ramirez nodded and watched Benji leaving.

"Master why he was so depressed?" Midori asked after Benji left. "You see Midori that Sakkat is special to him since it was a gift of Mana." Ramirez answered. "You know her, that assassin that once and a while come here with something to be upgraded or repaired. They are very close friends and he damaged that Sakkat in battle while destroying the Wasted Years. Even knowing that it was a just cause it doesn't make easier to lose something like that." Midori nods understanding, actually she is a bit surprised that Benji actually have feelings, from what she heard from the rumors and his appearance when he walked in she would swear that he didn't had feelings.

Much later on that day after Benji organized most of his guild structure, created rules and made sure that everything was in order and the girls of the guild are comfortable and have where to stay, Benji is enjoying a long soak in one of the hot springs in Amatsu, that after much harassing from people specially males wanting to join his nearly girl's only guild, which always resulted in a denial and in some cases a very forceful denial.

Benji was surprised with the speed that the news flied in Rune-Midgard and was thankful that he found how to hide his guild master status after many people begged to join the new and already famous guild. Benji sighs tired knowing that the girls, now including Sara and Makie are tossing a large party on the inn to celebrate the birth of the guild and the fame of it, as more temptating as being the only male in a party with many sexy girls including a underdressed very well build dancer Benji was tired from Haruka's rescue, the obliteration of the Wasted Years and dealing with uncountable people during the day, all that Benji desires is to sleep early and wake very late.

One hour later the party is happening in the inn's restaurant that was rented for the night only for them. Alexis, Isis, Ami and Sara now drunk are singing loudly holding each other. "So you decided to become a mage." Benji commented now with time and head to notice Haruka's new clothes. "Yes." Haruka answered. "Actually I also multi classed, earlier today I was a merchant. I stayed like that until I mastered overprice, discount and got few levels of enhance cargo capacity, use a chart and open a shop."

Benji nods understanding, while he wondered why she didn't pick either novice or swordswoman, heal alone was good reason to be a novice and the swordswomen HP and those related skills would be great to a mage class adventurer. "You are sure that you don't want to multi class some more?" Benji asked to her. "If the problem is money I pay for the changes."

Haruka smiles and denies. "Thank you but I am fine like this." She answered. "I have money to another change but I am content with my current setting, I am planning to be a support battle wizard so I don't really need a stronger build." "It is your decision." Makie commented casually. "Trust me on this if I had the chance that you are having right now I would have taken it. I worked myself to the bones to become a dancer nearly by myself and with many parties on the time that I am here. Just recently I got powerful enough to face more powerful monsters by myself." Haruka nods understanding. "I see, but I am fine like this." Haruka commented. And the party goes on and so does the argument.

After long hours Benji finally manages to slip away and get some sleep, however once again it was much, much shorter than he desired it to be. Around ten in the morning someone knocks on his door and doesn't seem like it is going away. Benji grabs a brass knuckles to beat the person and return to his bed.

Benji opens the door and sees the manager of the inn and a member of Amatsu's guard. "What you want?" Benji asked in an irritated tone. "The Emperor wants to meet you." the guard said to Benji. "Give me half an hour to get ready." Benji replied, after getting the confirmation Benji closes the door and moves to take a bath and dress up.

One hour later Benji is meeting with the ruler of Amatsu something that he never considered before, oddly enough the emperor was dressed with clothes equal of emperors of the ancient Japan. Benji is shocked to hear that even the emperor heard about his raid against the Wasted Years and what the emperor wanted to say to him.

"As I am sure that you know King Tristan created the guild wars and after our alliance I have seem the results of it and I must say that it is very beneficial to the cities where the guild feuds are located." The emperor said in a serious tone. "I was informed that you have a liking to Amatsu and considering your reputation I decided to give you the first guild castle of Amatsu."

Benji is shocked beyond words. "The castle is located in the fields on the east of the city, I am sure that you and your guild will find it very comfortable, it have all the modern luxuries that a guild can have." The emperor continued, and for the next hour Benji hears the emperor talking about the financial benefits of a guild feud near of the city and that Benji was selected because his liking of the city.

The following two days were an intense confusion with all the guild members and emperium crystal being transferred from the former Wasted Years castle to the new one in Amatsu after the old one was sold to another guild for fifteen hundred and fifty millions zenys in a disputed auction.

After moving to the new castle the following week was even busier to Benji who was dealing with the ranking, taxes, contract with the Kafra corporation, financial status of the guild, creating the beginner packs for the guild members consisting of ten fly wings, ten butterfly wings and ten magnifiers, buying the mechanical guards for the castle, dividing the guild members in parties so they could level up with one higher level short range fighter to tank the lower level members and lastly even tanking the members.

Ten days after rescuing Haruka Benji was still working late at night on his office on the guild castle. Benji sighs tiredly and rests his pen over the notebook that he was writing on and pinches the bridge of his nose, lying back on his large padded office chair. "I so need a vacation…" he muttered absentminded.

"From the much work that you are doing and the tone of your voice you sure do Benji-taisho." Haruka said entering on the office holding a jar of orange juice. "I already told you that you don't have to call me like that." Benji said to Haruka. "And I told you that I like calling you like that." Haruka replied pouring a glass of juice to Benji. "Anyway what you are doing?"

"I am checking the guild finances." Benji answered. "Writing down the expenses and the income that we got from selling the miscellaneous and unwanted items from the parties." "You don't have to do that." Haruka commented. "We have a lot of money and we keep making more daily and as we all get stronger we make more money for ourselves and the guild."

"We have to keep track of it as well the inventory of the guild items and others possessions." Benji replied in a serious tone. "I know that but do as the others and use the guild servant as everyone else." Haruka said in a serious tone. "You are looking very tired." "You girls don't give me a good night of sleep in the last two weeks is just normal." Benji teased sipping some juice. "I can't sleep thru the morning because a pack of you girls disturbs me wanting to have me tanking for you." "What can we do?" Haruka asked in a mock innocent tone. "You are so strong and popular."

Benji leans back on his chair and sighs. 'I am tired…' Benji thinks looking at this glass of juice. "You look really tired Benji-taisho." Haruka commented casually. "Do you want a blow job?" 'It would be nice…' Benji thought absentminded. "What!" he asked when the question finally sinks. "What did you said Haruka!"

End of the chapter five:

Please read and review. And I would like to thank everyone that is reading and reviewed this story. I am going to make two versions of this story, one with out explicit sex scenes and one with then; as well with sexual related omakes. The unedited version can be found in MediaMiner fanfiction page. The link is on my profile.


	7. Guild issues

Hi this is Benji Himura I am starting a new fanfic. I don't own Ragnarok online I also don't own the characters of that story or the plot; taking out the changes that I will make and the characters that I will create. I own Benji Himura and others characters that will show up in the story. It might be violence and sex in the story so if you are underage of seventeen are warned the content might be too improper to your age. Read by your own will and risk. In anyway enjoy the story.

Signed: Benji Himura

"Text" Talked sentences.

'Text' Thoughts.

-Text- Sounds effects.

(Text) Talked sentences in a foreign language

: Text: Messages show in an electronic screen or written.

**Text**: something being recalled, flashbacks, scenes being replayed.

_Text_: a detail found in a location, scene, person, recording and images that originally wasn't there.

Chapter six: Guild issues

Benji leans back on his chair and sighs. 'I am tired…' Benji thinks looking at his glass of juice. "You look really tired Benji-taisho." Haruka commented casually. "Do you want a blow job?" 'It would be nice…' Benji thought absentminded. "What?!" he asked when the question finally sinks. "What did you said Haruka?!"

"I said that you really look tired and if you would like to take a bath." Haruka answered. "This castle has an outdoor bath for males too." Benji nods sighing inwardly, he pinches the bridge of his nose. 'I must be really tired to be hearing things like that.' "I will go take a bath now." He said standing up. "Then I am going to my room." Haruka nodded with a smile leaving the room with him.

While moving to the bathing room Benji fully misses Haruka clicking her tongue annoyed. After undressing and washing himself Benji soaks on the outdoor hot spring. 'I must be a wreck to be hearing things like that.' he thinks leaning his head on the edge of the pool and looking at the crescent moon. 'I mean it does have months since the last time that I got laid but this is a bit too much for my taste…'

'Let's see when Mana and Shina left I passed two months leveling by myself and not on the mood for it, I met Alexis and Isis one week after it completed two months that they left for that war. Since I met Alexis and Isis have been around one month making nearly three months with out it.' Benji idly calculated, he sighs loudly. 'I guess that I should either find a girlfriend or go to the pleasure district, I guess that the later is better I don't want a steady relation.'

"I can't have a steady relation…" he whispered scooping some water on his right hand. 'If it felt that bad when Mana and Shina went to the war if I ever return to my world it will be even worse because then I won't ever meet them.' Benji stands up and dries himself before dressing and moving to his room to try to get some sleep before the girls pester him in the morning.

One the next morning Benji is once again sleepily tanking for a handful of girls in the fourth level of Payon Dungeon. Alexis, Isis, Haruka and Sara are there too as well six more girls of lower levels. Alexis being by far the most aggressive of all the girls quickly reached level fifty and became a knight on the previous night.

One of the girls levels and while the others congratulate her a male swordsman that just warped there is pestering Benji after recognizing Benji. Stressed and moody because the lack of sleep and tiredness Benji punches the young swordsman hard before walking away cursing in at least four different languages.

Isis heals the young man. "I apologize for our leader he is a bit moody and he really hates when people ask to join our guild." She said in an apologetic tone and smile. "Feel lucky that he held back considerably because he is really strong." After healing the still stunned swordsman the group chases after Benji.

"Dammit!" Alexis shouted when their search bears no fruits. "He must be cloaked somewhere!" "Let's give him a bit of a break Alexis." Isis said to her friend with a smile. "You can tank for us after all you are a high level knight." And with those words Alexis is pressed to tank the others.

Not so far from there in one of the many ruined houses Benji watched everything. He sighs content when seeing the group moving away, he sits in the farthest corner from the door and pulls a poring doll from his inventory and places on the floor before lying down, resting his head on it tipping his sweet gent over his face thankful that the dungeon is dark enough to sleep.

A Sohee looks at Benji curiously. "You know that it is dangerous for you sleep here?" she asked casually, holding her sleeves over her mouth while she speaks. "Well the only aggressive monsters here are the Munaks and the Skeleton archers; both of them can't hit me." Benji replied looking at her with the corner of his eyes. "Since you aren't aggressive and normally monsters don't enter in the houses I am taking a nap here."

"You are out of your mind." She muttered in an annoyed tone. "Considering that I have around one hundred hours of sleep to catch up you might be right." Benji commented casually. "If you are around when I wake up see you in few hours."

Around ten hours later Benji wakes up from his nap, he looks at his watch that was hidden under many layers of cloth. "Already this late…well I should get going, it is way past lunch time." He commented looking around he notices that the Sohee is still in the house looking at him. "Still here?" he asked casually. "I thought that you would have wandered off by now."

"I am curious to see what would happen while you was sleeping." She replied in an arrogant tone. Benji packs the doll that he used as pillow and the sweet gent that he was using to cover his face. "You don't see many adventurers taking a nap in the middle of a dungeon right?" he asked casually. "Right." She answered looking at him. "They aren't that careless."

"You might be right." Benji commented rummaging thru his inventory. "Want one?" He offers to the Sohee a pet food; she looks suspicious at the offered food but accepts it and eats it demurely. "Apple juice?" Benji asked holding a bottle of apple juice; she nods and also takes the offered drink.

Benji pulls a meat and an apple juice and eats too. "So what made you begin talk to me?" he asked casually, he does know that normally monsters only say one sentence before attacking or say something when they are pets. "I just got curious about what you was doing." She replied after drinking some of the juice.

After eating Benji stands up and dusts his clothes. "Well it was nice talking to you." he said to the Sohee. "I got some sleep and because of that my mood improved a lot." Benji leaves the house and notices that the Sohee follows him. "Want to walk with me?" he asked casually.

"Don't flatter yourself." She said in an arrogant tone while hiding a blush with her sleeves. "I am just following you because I am curious to see what else you will do that will amuse me." Benji chuckles lightly. "I don't mind that." he commented. "You have a name?" she denies nodding sideways. "Not that I remember and if you want to call me of something give me a beautiful name." She replied.

"Tsugumi sounds good?" Benji asked casually while killing a skeleton archer. "It does." She replied hiding a smile with her sleeves. "If I am not wrong it is a name of a bird." Benji commented gathering the fallen items. "A bird…" Tsugumi whispered; she keeps following him while Benji moves out of the dungeon.

Benji isn't surprised in seeing Tsugumi wincing at the sunlight when they leave the cave; after all she was deep on the dungeon since she was born. It doesn't take too long before Alexis and the others find Benji on the opening in front of the dungeon, of course Alexis made sure of voice her displeasure at his disappearance. Benji isn't surprised with the fact that no one of his party noticed Tsugumi or even seem to care about it; those girls sometimes can't notice the obvious.

Much later in the that night everyone is moving to the baths, then the mass of girls that Benji's guild is composed of notices the Sohee and crowd around the monster making many questions to her and pampering the monster. "You are Master Benji's cute pet?!" A red haired archer asks to Tsugumi. Benji that is looking at everything with an amused smile pulls a silver knife of chastity from his pockets and holds with his left hand and shows to the Sohee waving it lightly, mouthing to her to say yes.

Benji can clearly see the heart emoticon from the monster when she set her eyes on the knife. "Yes I am." Tsugumi answered to the archer girl. The girls drag the pet to the bath with out much resistance from her. Half an hour later Tsugumi enters on Benji's bedroom with her hair lightly damp and looking refreshed.

"That was mostly enjoyable." She commented casually. "Back in the dungeon the water is cold." "Glad to hear that." Benji replied from his bed. "Anyway catch." Benji tosses the sheathed knife to the monster, Tsugumi hurriedly and a bit clumsily catches it on the air hugging against her chest. She let out a sigh of relief and rubs her cheeks against the knife.

"Now that makes you my pet officially." Benji said with a smile. An exclamation mark pops from the pet as the realization sinks in. "I am total idiot." She muttered slapping her own forehead. "I followed you out of the dungeon, at the food that you gave me and took the taming item. I don't believe on this."

Benji chuckles lightly. "You could at least say that I am not an idiot." Tsugumi says glaring at him. "You are just naïve." Benji says with a smile. "Better now?" "Yes." Tsugumi snapped sitting on the bed. "I can't believe on this. I am a pet now…" "Better fate than facing an adventurer." Benji commented. "True." Tsugumi replied. "So where I sleep? And if you say floor I will test the knife against you."

"Not that you would be able to do it anyway." Benji said with a teasingly tone. "And the bed is quite big you for sure can find a comfortable spot on it as long you don't steal my pillow." "I rather sleep on the floor." Tsugumi says in an aggressive tone. "Suit yourself; I am not going to get you a bed here until the morning." Benji replied lying on the bed. "There are extra pillows and blankets on the closet over there. Turn off the light when you are done."

The spirit tosses a glare at Benji before placing the knife on her waistband and picking the mentioned sleeping items. She arranges herself in the floor and turns of the lights of the room. After ten minutes tossing and turning she gets tired of the floor and with her pillow and blanket moves to the bed.

"Don't try anything funny." She warned in a cold voice. "Whatever." Benji replied from his side of the bed, the pet gets a good amount of space between her and Benji, thankfully the bed it was really big and have room for at the very least four more people sleep there comfortably.

On the next morning Benji finds Tsugumi actually sleeping over him. "This explains why was hard to breath." He muttered lifting the pet's legs from the bed lifting her back from his chest. Benji moves to the bathroom and begins to take his morning shower, he is aware that is the 'day off' from the guild and that means getting the high level members of the guild and expend all the day facing boss monsters and other monsters like that.

Putting on his assassin clothes Benji leaves getting his equipment, he meets the high level second job members of the guild in the dinning room or mess hall as some called it. Assigning the girls in two balanced and strong groups Benji adjusts the taxes on them, they all know that is guild's day, everything that they win will go towards the guild for the growth of the guild.

Layla the oldest knight of the guild walks to Benji as the other girls of her group prepare the needed items. "Taisho you have few minutes to spare?" she asked tapping the hilt of her sword, a signal that Benji learned that meant that she is worried and thinking hard about some serious issue.

"Yes." Benji answered. Layla nodded and pointed to a distant corner of the still quiet room. "I am worried about your health." She said when sure that no one was hearing them. "Not only me but Erika is also worried, you are very pale. It is getting noticeable since you formed this guild."

Erika was the oldest priestess of the guild, the one that healed him immediately after the battle against the Wasted Years. "I am working a lot recently." Benji commented running his right hand on his hair. "Tanking the members, fighting MVP, running the guild, I don't really have much of rest."

Benji chuckled bitterly. "The price of being an assassin level 95 and guild leader." Benji added. "We can take care of MVPs without your help once and a while." Layla said seriously. "We don't have any high level assassin other than me here." Benji replied. "Our thieves are still thieves and two of them want to be rogues."

"It is true but we have one strong level 89 knight and one battle priestess of level 90." Layla replied. "Not counting wizards, sages, hunters, a monk and an alchemist. We can deal with MVP. We are all well equipped and carded as you are. You need to take a break or you might get really hurt, you are our pillar of support and leader, if you are hurt the morale will fall drastically."

"But if I don't go battling the morale also falls greatly." Benji pointed out. "I know that a good part of the morale of the guild is based on the legend of my invulnerability and invincibility."

"The lower ranked and level members haven't seen the end of the fight." Layla said recalling the day of the liberation as they came to call the day of the creation of the guild. "But I saw that you nearly died there, if wasn't for the dancer you might have not survived. I saw how much damage you took."

"Makie came in a good time but I also had pots with me." Benji commented. "I tend to push my luck a lot I don't deny it." Layla sighed seeing that she won't be able to make Benji back away from the fight, it was part of the reason that everyone was so loyal, and they knew that he wouldn't leave them alone when needed.

Returning to the group Benji gives the final instructions to them. "Okay group B will go to Seal Beach." Benji says to them. "As usual focus on mobsters for the sapphires, gather a mob and fry them with area spells the same goes to seals and anything else that moves and gives loot."

"Ryokai!" Layla, one wizard and one sage, one priestess and two huntresses shouted. "Group A, we will be going to Nifflheim and kill everything that moves and isn't another adventurer." Benji continued. "Ryokai!" Erika, a second priestess, the monk, two wizards and the remaining two huntresses shouted as one.

"We return here at dusk or when we run out of supplies and our carriers are unable to carry anymore." Benji said looking at the two blacksmiths of the guild; each group would be taking one girl to carry the brunt of the loot. "Whatever happens first." The girls giggle at the addition; it was part of the tradition to say that, usually they have to return three times in a day to unload the carts and inventories.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Benji leans tiredly against a rusted metal fence; Melissa the group's blacksmith is collecting the loot while Erika and Saya are casting sanctuary around the group to heal them. "My cart is nearly full." Melissa said after collecting the last of the loot.

"I am running low in gems." Saya announced. "Same here." Katia the wizard of lower level of the pair said.

"Erika cast a warp portal back to the guild." Benji said to the priestess. "We go there rest a little, unload the inventories and cart, get new supplied and get back here." "Okay." Erika said before casting the spell. One by one the members of the party enter in the portal and leave the dungeon.

Arriving in the closed armory Benji sees Melissa and the other members starting to store the loot in the depot. "Rest more." Erika said standing next to Benji. "You took the brunt of the damage today too." "Luring monsters isn't an each job." Benji commented pulling some juice from his pocket. "But we got some good loot; I am guessing two millions just on the past hours. And the guild gained few levels too."

"Still you are working too hard." Erika replied casting a heal on him. "Even with a darkness aligned armor you still took a lot of damage." "And because of that the others haven't taken much damage." Benji said with a smile. "It is the job of a meat shield." Erika sighed at his words.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Hours later Benji drags himself to his room after a bath. All that he desired was his soft bed and hours of sleep. Erika and Layla were doing an awesome job in crowd control keeping the other guild members busy and not noticing that Benji isn't with there with them.

Haruka noticed that but remained in silence, those two girls were by far the strongest members of the guild not counting Benji, going against them meant going against now level 90 knight and priestess, she is only a level 63, she knows that she isn't strong enough.

After the dinner Erika and Layla makes sure that all the members are there, it was time for some internal changes in the organization of the guild, the leisure pace of the lower leveled members to level up was making things hard to the high level members.

"Attention!" Layla shouted getting the attention of everyone in the room. Makie also knew what was going to happen, she wasn't high enough to aid in the monster killing so she remained in the guild keeping the other girls busy with games and chores. "I want every one of you opening your guild charts and seeing how many members above level seventy five exist on this guild."

Confused the girls do so while not understanding the why. "There are only eight members of that level not counting our leader." Erika said seriously. "And our guild has a total of sixty seven members! It isn't enough high level members!" "More than twenty of you are bellow level sixty, twenty more are bellow fifty. We have two level thirty members and the remaining thirteen are between the levels sixty and seventy."

"And why that is important?" A swordswoman asked. "We were given a total of six months to get used to this castle and grow as a guild before this castle enters in the official War of Emperium circuit." Layla answered seriously. "When that happens other guilds will attack our castle, our home with the intent of stealing it from us. They won't be small guilds or guilds of low level; they will be some of the strongest guilds of Rune-Midgard. Guilds armed to the teeth; packed with an army of high level members ready to defeat us to steal this castle and take the treasures that this castle gives to us as well the dungeon bellow it."

"How long it has passed since we were given this castle?" Erika asked to the girls. There are whispers among the girls. "Two months." Alexis said looking at the priestess. "Exactly." Layla replied. "In two months our number grew but our strength hardly increased at all. I don't question our leader's recruiting methods, but you all aren't making the needed effort to level up and aid your fellow members. Most of you are only interested in being tanked and chatting with each other. What you think that it will happen if the war comes and you are still this weak?"

"And what you are doing about that?" A merchant asked. Erika puts her hand on her forehead and shakes her head in disgust. "He was so tired that haven't changed the taxes yet." Erika said. "Look at the members' taxation."

"He doesn't taxes us." The merchant said changing the page of the chart. "He doesn't taxes you girls." Erika said seriously. "But over eighty percent of his experience goes to the guild, same goes to his zenys. And today all us of the inner circle who normally get twenty percent of taxes volunteered to get a ninety percent tax to increase our guild's level. All that loot that we got today will be reverted in money for the guild to buy better items for us. You think that I bought this slotted tiara and the mistress card? It was borrowed to me by the guild so I would save money in gems the same with Marine and Bella."

"My doppel sword also came from the guild." Layla added. "Same with most of the equipment of every one of you, you think that it was free? This equipment is a show of trust of our leader, we work hard to show that we deserve that trust; we level up and aid every one of you so you can do the same. You want to know why none of you have level three or level four weapons with the extra slots or rare cards? Because you girls wouldn't use it right, sure doppel equipped weapons would really make life easier, but you ever worked hard enough to show that you can have one? A doppel card costs seven millions that when we find that cheap. Level three and four weapons with extra slots are at least five millions."

The crowd gasped in surprised. "Most of the money came from our leader's personal account, so everything that you use that was given by the guild cost him money. Did you contribute enough to have the right to have a rare weapon or card?" Erika asked to them. "We don't mean only giving money to help the guild." Makie added. "Experience, helping your companions to level up and donating items that you won't use so it can be given to a companion that can use it."

"This day off as we call it is nothing more as an excuse for us the high level guild members including our leader to go out to hunt MVPs or raid a dungeon for loot to sell." Erika continued. "While you all were resting and leisurely enjoying the day we were fighting non-stop to make out guild better. Any of you noticed how tired our leader is?"

"We did." Haruka, Ami, Alexis and Isis said stepping forward. "We aren't surprised." Layla said with a smile. "The four of you are prospective inner circle additions. But you aren't moving as fast as you could with all the help that our leader gives you, we and as we I mean Erika, Makie, Marine, Bella, Saya, Katia, Miura and me think that you could have been over level seventy five by now."

"But even noticing how tired he is none of you voluntaried help to ease his workload." Erika added. "I did." Haruka replied. "I do it every day; I try making him rest and take easy with the tasks." "We take notice of this." Makie said. "But if you leveled a little faster don't you think that it would ease some of the weight from his shoulders?"

"I am leveling as fast as I can." Haruka protested. "My life is his and I am doing my best to meet with his expectations. But unlike everyone else here just recently I started to fight, until two months ago I was level 1 novice!"

"That is true." Alexis and Isis backed up the mage girl. "We were the ones tanking her before this guild was formed; she started leveling in the same day that this guild was made."

"Then we apologize." Layla said. "You are indeed working very hard to level this much in such short time. But we don't see similar efforts in the others." "We are moving in a fast pace too." Alexis and Isis, now a priestess said. "But we agree that isn't fast enough considering what is coming."

"That is our point." Makie said. "We aren't with a good average level here; we can't face guilds with an average member level of 89. We only have four more months to get on a good level and gather good weapons and cards."

"Then why our leader doesn't trans?" An archer asked. "Because if he does that our guild will have to face guilds with transcendent classes." Layla answered. "And I don't believe that anyone here other than the inner circle can get there before the first battle, and I am not sure if we would be in a good level. So we can't transcend if our guild isn't on a good level."

"Our point is that we all have to work hard to get on high levels." Erika concluded. "We will change the locations and start going to Niff, Glast, Seal Beach and Turtle Island. Dividing in three groups we can separate the members in levels and get them on high levels in those areas because the large number of aggressive monsters and spawn rate."

"But it will be a bit troublesome since the width of the level variation as well the lack of healers in the ranks." Layla commented. "Anyway we can at least work with the prospective ones in a fast pace and move in a slightly slower one with the others until we can get them all in a level that they can mob by themselves at least in Glast."

"Of course you will be escorted by one or two high level members in case of a really large mob or any other difficulty but their role will be only supportive, aiding only in emergencies." Makie continued. "They won't be tanking or killing for you, only aiding in case of need, otherwise you won't climb on the level ladder."

"And our leader?" An acolyte asked. "We wanted to give him a much deserved time off." Erika, Layla and Makie answered as one. "Let him just walk around and rest a little, when was the last time that it happened?" Not even Haruka could answer that question.

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Benji wakes with Tsugumi shaking him. "What?" Benji asked to the pet. "Is lunch time." She replied. "How long you plan to sleep?" "Until I feel tired of sleeping." Benji answered grabbing the pet and using her as a pillow. Tsugumi flails and protests at the usage of her stomach as pillow and her legs of plushie but is unable to escape from Benji's strong arms.

Sighing defeated the Sohee settles in staying lying on the bed, it wasn't entirely bad, not that she would admit to anyone, but she also missed her master, she wondered if was related to her new status as cute pet.

A couple hours later Benji wakes and notices that his bed was warmer than the usual, it takes few moments for him to notice the disheveled Sohee that he was using as pillow. 'Okay I am still wearing pants which means that I haven't done that.' Benji said after a brief study of the situation. 'Then during our sleep after she tried to wake me earlier her robes got out of place.'

Pleased with the theory Benji adjusts the robes of his pet, taking a look at his watch; that since his arrival seemed to give him a large ordeal of bonuses depending of certain actions and daytimes. 'Well it is mid afternoon. I wasn't disturbed so something isn't right.' Benji thought while standing up and putting on his entire battle equipment including the ones in the inventory.

"What?" Tsugumi mumbled hearing the noises of some of his weapons inside the inventory, rubbing the sleep from her eyes she looks at Benji. "Got tired of sleeping?" She asked adjusting her robes again. "Yeah." Benji replied. "Why no one disturbed me?" "The silver haired knight made a meeting with everyone in the dinning hall and made alteration on the groups." The Sohee answered putting on her other robes and adornments. "They are now leveling up by themselves. The group that called themselves inner circle grew tired of seeing everyone else slacking off on their duties."

Benji sighed running his gloved hand on his hair. "Well it can't be helped." Benji commented. "Let's go eat something." Tsugumi nodded and follows Benji out of the room. 'It is a good thing; it means that the guild is growing stronger not only in strength but mentally.' Benji thought as walking to the dinning hall. 'Maybe is about time for me to let them work by themselves without me around. I really want to learn what happened to Mana and Shina.'

End of the chapter six:

I want to thank everyone who is reading this story and everyone who was waiting for the new chapters. I apologize for the lack of updates here, it seems that this story is seasonal since when I tried to write before it wasn't flowing and now that the summer is arriving here and is hot as hell the story began to flow better. Let's see if more chapters pop up in the incoming summer and heat.


	8. Dungeon crawling

Hi this is Benji Himura I am starting a new fanfic. I don't own Ragnarok online I also don't own the characters of that story or the plot; taking out the changes that I will make and the characters that I will create. I own Benji Himura and others characters that will show up in the story. It might be violence and sex in the story so if you are underage of seventeen are warned the content might be too improper to your age. Read by your own will and risk. In anyway enjoy the story.

Signed: Benji Himura

"Text" Talked sentences.

'Text' Thoughts.

-Text- Sounds effects.

(Text) Talked sentences in a foreign language

: Text: Messages show in an electronic screen or written.

**Text**: something being recalled, flashbacks, scenes being replayed.

_Text_: a detail found in a location, scene, person, recording and images that originally wasn't there.

Chapter seven: Dungeon crawling

"Uuuhhh…this place is hot…" Tsugumi complained hovering behind Benji as they walk in the middle of the Sograt Desert. Benji smiled, oddly enough his assassin's clothes even being dark and made of many layers made him very fresh and cool under the intense sun, the Sweet Gent that he is wearing also helps with the heat.

Benji takes his hat and puts on the Sohee's head. "We are getting close." Benji said to his pet. "I buy you some ice cream when we arrive in Morroc." "Once again why we went to that guild place?" Tsugumi asked wiping the sweat from her pretty face with her white hand.

"Because I am looking for information about a friend." Benji answered. "I don't have connections with the Order of crusaders so I have to get information from the assassin's guild since my friend is an assassin too."

………Very far from there……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Captain!" A young archer shouted running towards Mana, she is sited in a stone window gazing at the large number of adventurers blocking the passage of the castle, but not fighting at all, she is carelessly sharpening a stiletto.

The archer hands to Mana a letter. "Good job Cleo." Mana said taking the letter. "Go wash up and rest, you are drenched in sweat from running all the way here." "Yes ma'am!" The young archer replied beaming that someone of so high position knew her name.

"Any news?" Shina asked holding her sheathed sword over her shoulder in a careless way. Mana nodded laughing. "It is a bit of late news but our friend and distraction is making up for his words." Mana answered with a smile passing the letter to Shina. "He made his own guild after destroying one all by himself."

"You sins are impossible." Shina commented chuckling reading the letter. "Ramirez said that he is heartbroken that his Sakkat can't be repaired. Maybe we affected him more than we intended to."

"Come on Shina we fucked his brains out, we also like him and from the way that he did us is clear that he also like us." Mana replied stretching on the window frame. "You even sent him your sister..." "For protection and not sex." Shina shot back. "But his help would be welcomed; we are stuck here for five months now."

"Yeah it is boring and I am horny too." Mana commented scratching her nose. "But as usual we are holding the record of longest siege in the war and our guild is only getting stronger. It is a good thing that we have secret tunnels and high level priestesses to warp with our blacksmiths and alchemists to buy food, weapons, pots and other needed things."

"Considering that we dug them ourselves of course they are handy." Shina commented sitting next to her oldest friend. "Should we send him a message? Another helping force would be welcomed."

"Let's give him more time." Mana replied. "He is nearing my level now, soon he will be able to transcend, besides he needs to work on his guild, Ramirez said that Benji is famous and harsh with recruiting, he denies everyone who isn't indicated by members and that after he questions the person, so far he only accepted females."

"Another reason that I want to call him." Shina said. "I am sure that the general won't complain in being allies with his guild since we personally oversaw his training and his guild is nearly female only." "They need more time to grow." Mana commented. "I just hope that he is using those cat ears that I sent to him." "You told what they really are?" Shina asked.

Mana blushed and looks away. "You forgot?!" Shina shouted. "And you were expecting him to just wear those without telling what they are?!" "I forgot! I was sleepy when we wrote the letter; we had barely finished an all night battle to defend our home." Mana exclaimed embarrassed. "I am not even sure if I told that everything is +10."

Shina slaps her forehead shaking her head in disgust. "Next time I will check your letter before we send it." Shina said to her friend. "It doesn't matter what kind of things you write on it." Mana nodded defeated knowing that her friend's head is three times harder and thicker than her armor.

………In Morroc……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"This is so good!" Tsugumi exclaimed licking her strawberry ice cream, Benji is once again wearing his hat and looking around the north square of Morroc. Benji smiled at his pet's happiness and wonders were is the so called guild contact that was supposed to be there.

Stretching under the sun Benji sighs, it was hard to learn about Mana and Shina without knowing the name of the guild, or the location of the castle. He can't help on hearing two thieves discussing how hard is to get money in their level. He suffered from that when playing and recalled his basic strategy, and since the price of the yellow herb is fifty zenys on the vendors he decided to show them how to make some easy money.

"I can tell you two an easy way to make money but is a little slow." Benji said walking to them, he hid his guild symbol and name; he doesn't need to be harassed as he walks. "If takes long I am not interested." The male thief said walking away. "How easy it is?" The green haired female asked him, if he is an assassin it means that he were a thief so he has experience from being in the same situation, and knowing the price of sin's equipments she decided to take the advice.

"Rather easy." Benji replied. "You have to walk a bit on the desert and collect yellow herbs from yellow plants." "I don't know where to find them." She said embarrassed. "I don't know the desert very well." "If you don't know the growing spots it won't work." Benji commented. "I will show them to you."

She nods and follows him to the desert; Tsugumi sighed and follows her master. "You are better get a mask." Benji advised to the young thief as he puts on his assassin's mask. "It prevents you from breathing dust. A pair of shades protects your eyes from dust and the sun; it is a must when leveling in the desert."

She nodded hearing carefully at his advices. "You have steal?" Benji asked her when they reach one yellow herb. "Just enough to have hide." She answered. "Level it up." Benji said. "That after you get double attack and increase dodge maxed out. In any path that you take steal helps a lot to make money."

She nods again. "What is your name?" Benji asked. "I can't call you, you all the time." "My name is Alan." She answered bowing lightly. "I am Benji." Benji said. "I take that you are still in a low job level right?" Alan nodded confirming.

"Well this is how it works." Benji said using steal in the plant and getting a yellow herb. "Then you cut the plant and get the loot, in that way you can double the amount of herbs that you can collect. So you can make around one hundred zenys with one plant."

"That is why you said that it is a bit long." Alan commented. "Yes." Benji replied with a smile. "But if you can't kill anything with a good loot because you don't have enough level or good equipment is the best way to get something. And since the plants always grow in the same place you can go there three times a day to collect herbs. Now let me show the other spots that I know."

She nodded and follows Benji in the desert. "This area is dangerous." Benji said as she is stealing a plant. "There is a dragonfly around this place so run when you see it, you aren't strong enough to kill it. But if you can kill it in higher levels you can get some good drops, this hat came from one." Benji tapped on the sweet gent that Tsugumi is wearing again.

"The cactus things that roam around here also give many thorns and they sell for one hundred and fifty a piece so if you are strong enough you can kill them too." Benji added. "They also drop a spear; I just forgot which one it is." Alan nodded understanding.

"What is this sound?" Alan asked looking around. Benji grabs his hat from Tsugumi and puts it on. "It is a dragonfly." Benji said locating the monster. "Stay back and let me kill it." Alan nodded and moves away. "Don't hide, it is futile against insects."

Benji meets the insect with his blades and kills it easily. "You know I thought that they were harder than this." He said looking at the loot. "I am getting only this juice; you can get the rest including the gem." "Uuhhh…okay…" Alan replied shocked with the speed that Benji killed the mini boss.

"You are stronger than before." Tsugumi pointed out taking the hat from him. "True." Benji commented, when he killed dragonflies he was still a thief. "Anyway that is everything that I have to teach about making money here." Benji said turning to Alan. "When you get on base 50 go to Amatsu, the city not the dungeon. In there go to the field and steal and kill the umbrella shaped monsters, run from the green one with a fishing rod. The umbrella monsters give around fifteen hundred zenys each in loot."

"I will remember it." Alan replied with a smile. Benji rummages on his inventory. "Here I have no use for this one but you might find useful since you doesn't have any hat." Benji said giving to the young thief an eggshell. "Thank you!" Alan replied with a smile, taking the offered armor. "Now be careful in here, keep your safety on all the times." Benji added.

"I will." Alan said cheerfully, she couldn't believe how nice Benji was, from what she heard from assassins they were supposed to be cold blooded murdering machines. "You have any B-wings?" Benji asked rummaging on his pockets. "No." Alan answered. "You should always keep a supply of them." Benji advised pulling three butterfly wings from his pocket and handing to her. "You never know when you need an emergency escape. The first rule in exploring and adventuring is to be well prepared."

Alan nodded feeling embarrassed with her lack of knowledge, she was so focused on saving money for her Damascus that she haven't thought much in anything else. "I will take you back to Morroc, you get few pots and a mask before you go collecting herbs, a flu mask is very cheap and does the job very well." Benji said leading her back to Morroc.

Alan nodded thanking him once more as he gives her more advices on the way to Morroc. "The weapon shop is down that street." Benji said pointing down to the south street along the wall. "You can't miss it is the store in the corner." "Thank you for everything." Alan said bowing at him. "I will add you on my friends list." "Okay." Benji replied with a smile. "Now hurry or the store will close for the day." Allan nodded and runs down to the weapon shop.

"Why you bothered?" Tsugumi asked fanning herself with the hat as they walk back to the north square. "I don't mind helping others." Benji answered. "Besides I also suffered from low money in my start." 'Well my in game start and not since I came to this world.' Benji added to himself.

Benji sits in a bench and waits for the contact. After half an hour a red haired assassin walks to Benji. After a quick chat the guy teleports away. Benji sighed running his hand on his hair; the guild doesn't have information on Mana's whereabouts. Benji sits on the bench looks at the darkening sky.

It has been months since the last contact with Mana and Shina, Tsugumi sits next to Benji with some distance between themselves seeing that he won't move for a while. The cooling breeze of the night starts to blow in the trees and streets. "Well I am not in the mood of going back." Benji said standing up. "Let's go to Niff, I feel like killing something."

Tsugumi sighs and follows Benji as they move to the south square of Morroc. Benji doesn't notices that a short blonde haired female monk was watching him and following him.

Benji talks to a Kafra and teleports to Nifflheim. "I don't like this place." Tsugumi said feeling the eerie air of the city of the dead. "Odd considering where you used to live." Benji commented. A new teleport marks the arrival of the blonde monk. "Want to party down here?" She asked to Benji. "If your level is around 90 we can share experience."

"Why not." Benji replied. "I am on level 95." "Good I am on 96." She said with a smile. "My name is Atsuko." "I am Benji." Benji replied. "And that is Tsugumi." Atsuko waved at the Sohee who nods a greeting. Benji changes to his Niff gear and they leave the city to face the monsters outside.

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Benji lowers his mask and spits on the ground. "That was a big one." Atsuko commented cheerfully. "I would have never guessed that you were a multi, but boy that was really handy." "Magnum break does help a lot on mobs like that." Benji said sheathing his blood stained knives. "Thanks for the buffs; it made much easier especially the healings since the break needs HP."

"My pleasure, if you fell then they would come after me and I don't have that insane dodging as you." Atsuko replied. "They would turn my ass in ground meat." "Come on you monk are supposed to be tough." Benji teased. "But not invincible." Atsuko commented drinking some grape juice. "At least you leveled."

"I have been a while." Benji said making the changes to his stats. "It is the first time in a long while." "When we get this powerful it does get hard." Atsuko commented. "But three more levels and we can transcend."

"So how we do it anyway?" Benji asked; he never bothered to learn that he were busy dealing with leveling up and then the guild. "Two ways." Atsuko answered showing him two fingers. "The first is in Yuno, there is a whole quest on it. The second we have to find this mysterious Valkyrie that wanders in this world, she is always in some city, if we speak to her being a level 99 she will transcend us without the quest, but then finding that Valkyrie is a quest itself; most people prefer using the traditional Yuno method."

Benji nodded understanding that Valkyrie sounded like a job changer from some servers. "Ready to continue?" Benji asked seeing a Loli Ruri moving at their direction followed by a pair of Bloody Murderers and a pair of Dullahans. "It is not like we have a choice." Atsuko replied putting on her Kaiser Knuckles and her buckler, and summoning her spirit spheres. Tsugumi sighed and draws her silver knife at least she could hit the monsters and not being attacked for it.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"How much longer you can still keep going?" Tsugumi asked to Benji, she was already tired of fighting and she was the one doing less fighting in the group. "Your pet has a point." Atsuko commented. "We are down here have an while now I am five percent short to change to 97 but that amount takes a while to get and you just got on ten percent of level 96. What about we go to Payon and take a stay there for the night? I know a great restaurant there."

"Sounds good for me." Benji replied. "I am quite hungry after killing this much." "I will open a portal." Atsuko said casting the spell. "You go first." Benji nodded knowing that if she goes first the portal closes.

"The sky is looking really pretty tonight." Benji commented seeing the stars and the crescent moon in the clear sky. "Yeah, there isn't a single cloud tonight." Atsuko commented looking at the stars. "Well let's go grab a bite, we fought hard and we need to get ourselves some filling."

Benji nodded and follows the monk; it was good hang out with someone of his own level for a change. Stretching Benji takes out his hat and shades and stores them. "So you have a regular party?" Atsuko asked as they walk. "Yes, but they are in a much lover level so is more like I am tanking them than fighting together." Benji answered taking out his mask, the night's air is cool and fresh, delicious when comparing with the stale air of Nifflheim.

"Taking a break from it?" Atsuko asked chuckling. "You can say so." Benji replied. "It has been months since I last walked around without them tagging along, it is not like I don't like them but is a bit tiresome always to look over them in dangerous dungeons. I am sure that I am getting so stressed lately that I am hearing things in certain moments."

"Then let's relax a lot tonight and get ourselves some tasty food and wine." Atsuko said laughing. "Tomorrow we go to Niff and get ourselves more percents and who knows we might even learn where that Valkyrie is and transcend." Infected by happy mood Benji agreed feeling lighthearted for the first time in a very long while.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Benji-taisho I brought you some dinner." Haruka said entering on Benji's office holding a tray with food. "I thought that you…" The sentence dies as she sees that the office was empty. Moving to the desk Haruka sets down the tray, touching on the padded leather chair she feels the leather cold, without even a hint of warmth indicating recent use.

"He isn't here." Layla said entering on the office. "He left this on my room's door." Haruka sees a note on the knight's now unarmored fingers. : Gone recruiting. Returning sometime between now and three months. Himura. : Haruka looks confused at the note.

"You mean that he isn't anywhere in the castle?" She asked. "Nowhere in Amatsu." Layla answered. "And he activated the private mode so we can't see in the chart where he is."

Haruka pulls her own chart and opens her friends list; the list doesn't inform his general location as normally does. "Considering that his pet heard the meeting she must have told him about our decision." Layla added. "Since we became more independent he is taking some time to gather new members and a time for himself, as well showing us that he trusts on us with leveling up and the guild maintenance."

Haruka sighed and hands the note back to Layla. "Who is the second?" Haruka asked to the knight. "That happens to be me." Layla answered. "Erika refused when offered because she doesn't think of herself about to deal with everything here." "Then be sure of doing a good work because everyone will be watching you." Haruka said taking picking up the tray.

"I plan to show him that we can be trusted with our own wellbeing and responsibilities." Layla replied. "Why you are so angry at this?" "Because as I said my life is his." Haruka answered. "I live to serve him in any way that he might desire and want."

"And you told him that?" Layla asked pocketing the note. "I am not brave enough to say that directly." Haruka answered with a sigh. "But I am trying to convey that with my actions."

Layla scratches her short silver hair. "Well good luck for you." She said looking at the pile of documents to work on. "Because I think that unless you make yourself clear he might not understand your message."

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Benji sits on the edge of his bed holding his head. He had done mistakes in his past, he didn't denied them, he also have done insane things as eating a slime like monster to survive lost in a desert and jumping out of a window of the ninth floor of a building held only by a sheet and his belt to escape of a hormone crazed murdering girlfriend, his luck is that he landed in the open window of the apartment under the one that he was.

But Benji was thinking that the insane window jumping was going to lose the first place on his list of stupidest and insane things that he have done on his life. Benji sighed wondering why he haven't stopped drinking when he felt like and kept drinking as Atsuko refilled his cup.

The result of six bottles of Comodo's tropical grape wine, two jugs of Payon's rice wine and two bottles Alberta's spiced grape wine is that Benji and Atsuko were in the same bed. Benji knew by the scent as well stickiness of his body what have happened; he also recalled what happened as the fog of alcohol recedes and give place to the much hated soreness and tiredness that he feels when drinking too much.

'I wonder if cutting my own throat would end this quickly.' Benji thought seeing Tsugumi still sleeping drunk in the sofa, Benji couldn't understand how the Sohee could sleep sprawled like that, her left leg was hanging over the back of the couch, her right leg was hanging over the left arm, her back is on the seat and her head is hanging from the seat with her long black hair pooling under her head. Her robes bunched around her waist, arms and tangled between her legs.

'I don't think that I can give myself over twenty thousand points of damage just slashing my throat once.' Benji sighed looking at the discarded pile of clothes near of the bed. His only comfort is that Atsuko can't pack that much damage naked and unarmed, but he knew better than underestimating a monk's combo abilities.

"If you continue to let out such dark aura I will start to think that you are regretting what we did and I will get angry." Atsuko said turning over and lying over her stomach. "And if makes you feel better I was the one who started everything." "I remember that." Benji replied.

"Then remember that you were a very willing performer too." Atsuko commented with a languid smile. "You definitely have awesome techniques, they teach that to assassins?" "No they don't." Benji replied in a flat tone. "Come on don't be so moody after what we did." Atsuko said kneeling on the bed. "I admit that we hardly know each other and that the liquor really took our inhibitions, but you have to admit that we are a really good combination, why not see how things flow?"

"It is a bit more complex than that." Benji said turning to face the blonde. "So what?" Atsuko replied. "We are both strong enough to face complexity. Unless you love someone else, which if is that he case I can understand and accept this as a one night thing triggered by alcohol."

Benji sighed, it would be easy to just say that he loved someone else even thought he doesn't, but he is too much of a nice guy to lie to Atsuko and he isn't really sure of his feelings about Mana and Shina, sure the sex was great, mind blowing and intense, they also saved his life in the desert, but what he felt was really love or a deep friendship mixed with gratitude, he wasn't sure of the answer, all that he knew that he really liked them.

"Why we don't push this to the side and try to start out as friends first?" Benji asked to the monk. "As more temptating as it is to jump straight to sex without thinking on anything else." "I can accept that." Atsuko answered with a smile. "As long you think fondly about this subject."

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"My head…" Tsugumi complained holding her throbbing head. Benji recovered from the ill feelings on his system thanks to healing magic, lots of it, he still felt a little sluggish but he was way better than before.

"You aren't the only one." Atsuko said holding her head with her left hand. "I really should cut the spiced wine; I always get migraines after drinking it." "Dungeon crawling is out of the agenda today." Benji commented stretching on his chair on the restaurant.

"Why you aren't with a headache?" Tsugumi asked to her master. "I hold liquor better than you." Benji replied. "Anyway you two should eat something sweet, sugar helps to ease the effects of alcohol." Atsuko nodded and calls one of the waitresses. "Six strawberry jelly breads." Benji ordered. "Two mugs of warm milk, one dispenser of honey, and four pieces sugared dry peaches."

"That is all?" the waitress asked to Benji while writing down the order. "One beef special with seeds bread and orange juice." Benji answered. "I will be right back." She replied with a smile. "That is all for you?" Atsuko asked. "The first half is for the two of you." Benji answered. "The second is mine."

"I am allergic to peaches." Atsuko commented. "Your pet can eat mine." "I never tasted that." Tsugumi commented. "They are quite good." Benji said. "Sweet and soft, they almost melt in your mouth." Tsugumi nodded eager to try the new food, it beated the mushrooms and raw fish from the cave.

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Benji feels his body heavy and weary, he is crouched in the middle of one of the paths of Nifflheim, nailed on his back are several knives and swords; blood seep from his wounds as he tries to breath.

His mask now destroyed hangs on a thin tread on his face, Benji drools a large amount of blood as he keeps a firm grip on the throat of a struggling Loli Ruri. Blood from a cut on his scalp burn his eyes as it seeps inside them dying the white orb red.

With a gurgling sound escaping from her lips the Loli Ruri fallen from her moon shaped stone hears her neck breaking under the pressure. With a sharp intake of air Benji tears open her throat with his fingers.

Benji bites her neck and rips an even larger chunk of flesh from the demon girl's throat; Benji swallows the warm demonic flesh and drinks of the gushing blood, almost dying from thirst because his wounds, he can feel the life pulsing back to him as he does that.

Benji tears a piece of cartilage and spits away, there wasn't enough flesh there. Ripping the shirt of the demon girl Benji harshly pokes her chest, there wasn't much there either. Aiming lower Benji tears a piece of her left thigh, the dying monster gurgles drowning in her blood, she let out her last attempt of a breath and vanishes.

Benji licks the blood from his fingers before reaching on his back, holding at one of the knives there Benji tears it from his flesh without a sound other than the sound of the knife against his flesh.

His inventory was locked because the witch's curse and Atsuko were force warped to another spot with a Wanderer, leaving Benji alone against a large mob. His usual weapons to be used on Nifflheim were damaged and sent to his inventory, but because the curse he couldn't take anything out from it or leave Niff until they completed the quest for some undead mushroom for that witch.

Atsuko spoke with the witch, actually trying to ask for the location of Main Square after they returned to the city after few hours in the fields; the witch shoved them that curse and quest if they wanted the curse to be removed, and then she led them to a secret path that led to the area where the mushroom grows.

Benji stands up and walks to the direction of the mushroom, the map was saying that Atsuko was on that direction. Dragging a sword from a killed Wanderer and the cleaver like knife from a Bloody Murderer Benji walks on unsteady steps.

'I am still alive…' Benji said to himself fighting the exhaustion. 'Making mine Conan's words…if I can deal death then I am still alive…' He were only able to survive thanks to his watch that gained some mystical properties on that world, activating the stopwatch function Benji would gain a huge bonus while it was active, but the price is that it takes a toll on his body and during the equal amount of time that it was active his healing would be denied.

Benji notices that the monsters aren't attacking him as he walks near them. 'Why they aren't attacking?' Benji asked to himself not stopping to see why. 'Is this torn appearance, this demon like state that I am in, bloodied, with blades in my back but still moving?' There aren't answers for his question other than the sounds of the monsters moving and the eerie sounds of the distant Nifflheim afterlife.

A Wanderer slashes Benji as he walked by; Benji blocks the slash with the sword and brings down the cleaver on the demon's head slashing it in two. Benji moves forward knowing that he must find Atsuko, the heal lock is still active and he needed her to heal his wounds.

The sound of battle draws more monsters close, while most of demon type monsters avoid Benji the undead type attack him. Benji is surprised in seeing a Loli Ruri attacking a Wanderer and a Dullahan that were attacking him. Benji breathes hard leaning on the demon's sword.

He sees the demon girl hovering near him, what surprises him is that she smiled at him. Benji tiredly smiled back at the girl, she helped him so why worry about it. Benji wonders why she wasn't hostile; it was the blood from a member of her race coating his body or something else.

"You saw a blonde human…" Benji said to the demon girl as he raises his hand to his nose height. "…this tall wearing monk clothes?" The demon girl scratched her chin as if trying to recall something. "Not so far on that way." She answered pointing north; it matched the location show in the map.

"Thanks." Benji replied straitening up and walking away. 'This is familiar…' Benji sighed looking back and seeing the cheerful Loli Ruri hovering a couple meters behind him, Benji was glad that Tsugumi was safe in their inn since she was still recovering from her hangover.

"You are curious, right?" Benji asked not looking over his shoulder. "Right." The girl answered. "You are a new demon? Your eyes are cool and red, those stack of blades on your back to be used in combat is also cool. You almost look like a human but you smell like me."

'I wonder how she would react if I said that I am a human and the only reason that I smell like her is because I am bathed in blood from her kind?' Benji thought. "So why the big demons with cleavers and the other ones aren't attacking me?" Benji asked, it was a good opportunity to learn why that is happening.

"They can smell that you are stronger." She answered with a smile. "Those guys are pretty dumb but they have good instincts to judge the power among our kind. Undead are usually stupid and attack anyone who they aren't familiar with, and well those skull guys with swords just like to fight. My kind can tell that you are one of us, you reeks death and blood."

'I wonder if that is a compliment…' Benji muttered to himself. "Other than your kind, the skull guys, the canned ones…" "Canned ones! That is great! My people are trying to get a name for those have a while now." Ruri exclaimed cutting Benji's sentence. "The trees and ghost what else lives down here?" Benji finished his question.

"The lord does." She answered cheerfully. "He moves around riding on his horse surrounded by a crowd of skull guys and ghosts." 'Sounds like the Lord of the Death.' Benji thought. 'I hope not to find him; I am not in shape to face him.'

Loli Ruri hummed softly a tune that Benji never heard as they walk towards what the map and the witch said that was a sludge pit before the place where the undead mushrooms grow. 'And there go my boots…' Benji sighed as the boots get damaged on the maggot filled sludge.

'I am so not walking on that.' Benji said taking few steps back. "Mind in giving me a lift to the other side?" Benji asked to the demon girl. "I only have this pair of boots and I don't want to lose it." "Sure hop on." She answered patting the moon next to her. Benji cringes as he removes the remaining blades from his back, he haven't removed them to not damage himself more and lose more blood but he wasn't going to risk fall on his back with those nailed there.

Sitting on the moon the demon girl flies over the pit. Benji throws a piece of armor from a Dullahan that he was holding to use as depth indicator on the pit, the speed that the sludge swallows the armor shard impresses Benji, since the stuff was thick. The armor vanished on the depths of the sludge.

"It is safe here." She said with a smile when they reach graveyard. "On this place forward only my kind and ghosts can reach, the pit swallows every one who walks there, you are very smart on realize it." Benji smiled back, actually he were grossed out by the maggot filled sludge.

The map shows that Atsuko was close, but he couldn't see her anywhere near the graveyard. Benji looks around for the mushroom and the monk. The demon girl continues to follow Benji around.

Benji finds the mushroom growing on the crack of a tombstone; he looks at it the mushroom really looks like rotting flesh. "Gross." Benji muttered cutting it out from the stone and putting inside his torn mask before pocketing it, if the witch wanted it she would have to uncurse them before getting it.

"Please tell me that I haven't heard the sound of hooves." Benji said looking at the demon girl. "Lord!" The demon girl shouted cheerfully seeing the Lord of the Death ridding at their direction. 'I am screwed…' Benji thought seeing the entourage of demons and ghosts.

End of the chapter seven:

Author explanation corner: (For those who don't know this is where I explain things from the story, I am taking this from the same section from my Ranma fic.)

Safety: this is a personal original addition to the story, as anyone who played the game knows no one really dies there even when turned into pate by a horde of monsters, in my story every adventurer has a magic safety that faint them when they can't fight anymore, that same magic makes monsters stop attacking them and they don't take more damage than the 0 HP that they reached.

The cost of this safety being active is that the experienced gained by the adventurers is halved, disabling the safety one adventurer 'doubles' the gained experience, for explanation's sake if Ami kills a Munak with the safety on and she gains 1000 experience points in the base level and 900 in the job level, with the safety turned off she would gain 2000 XP in base and 1800 in the job.

However if she dies there then she is really dead, nothing can bring her back, but if the safety is on she can return to her save spot or be resurrected by someone. Greedy people or people wanting to level faster turn the safety off and end dead.

Siege: as show in this chapter Mana and Shina as well their entire guild is sieged inside their castle. In the game the WoE only last few hours, so in the game I making them last one day, and that day is from the dawn until the next dawn. In the case of Mana's guild the attackers camped outside to prevent the members from leaving and others from entering, and that is how a real siege is made.

In real war a siege is surround a location, let's use a castle as reference, one army or two is inside the castle, they have a stock of supplies for a certain period of time, outside we have the invaders that can be from any number from one army to one hundred if not more.

The invading army will capture or kill anyone leaving the castle or any one trying to enter the castle, capturing might allow them to learn of the defenses or even a secret way inside, but moving to combat, in a siege the invading force try to take over the castle for that they have siege machines as the battering ram, siege tower, catapult and others.

The defending force also have their own siege machines, the battering ram and the siege tower are useless but catapults, ballistae, stones, cauldrons of boiling oil, tar, sand, water and other liquids or substances, and several other weapons and strategies can be used to defend the castle.

It isn't uncommon for forts and castle has secret routes to get supplies, send messengers to allies and things like that. So I placed in the castle some secret tunnels not related to the castle's dungeon access to add in the ways of communicating with allies and getting supplies.

Back to the story, the guild is locked inside their castle by their enemies and they have to endure long days of wait until the time of the WoE when the enemies will attack. Some might be asking 'Why if they can go out using priests and tunnels they don't leave the castle and go relax or do something outside?' the answer is simple, the same reason that I added the private mode to hide if a person belong to a guild and his rank there, to prevent identification and capture.

While the invading force can come and go as they wish as long they leave an 'occupation' force outside the gate the defenders can't leave, there is a chance of then being identified by the invaders and captured, so they remain inside and only leave when needed to keep secrecy of the guild's secrets routes and defenses.

Private mode: I am sure that anyone who ever joined a famous guild or an 'in' guild we harassed by some hotshot wanting to join the guild. So I added this feature, which is nothing else than covering or storing the guild brand. Think on the brand as a personal ID.

Benji's money making strategy: That is nothing else than a strategy that I used in my early days playing RO, in the serves that I used to play the yellow herbs we bought by NPCs by 150z so it was a easy way to make money with out much of a risk, a slow but sure way. I admit that back then I was a rookie so money making and leveling were really hard.

The incident is also based on a 'real' incident in my first RO server, I now as an assassin was in Morroc, I was just walking around Morroc and ended in the north square where two thieves were taking a male and a female, they were chatting about money and we all know that the typing appears to everyone in the screen so I couldn't help on 'hearing' it.

As happened in the incident that I wrote the boy weren't interested in the strategy and either logged off or used a wing to move away. The girl was interested so I took her to the desert and show to her the spots where the plants always appeared and taught her how to make it work. The dragonfly incident also happened, it was a bit harder in the game than it was in this story, and anyway I just decided to add some real RO experiences in the story.

Hormone crazy murdering girlfriend incident: as unlikely as it sounds it did happened to me. That is PMS for you people; let's say that after that I was really following my now ex girlfriend cycle, thankfully that condition was solved by her starting to take the pill. It wasn't a fun thing to be chased for six rooms by a short sword armed girl.

I still don't know what triggered that I was there just to return to her a book that I had borrowed, the sword was part of the decoration, and needless to say that I only visited again once her mother stored all the sharp and pointy things of the decoration away.

When it happened it was everything but funny, now I laugh of it, but as I said it wasn't one of my brightest ideas to jump out of a window using a bed sheet and my belt to climb down one floor, but then the cheap wood door of the laundry area was giving up really quickly to the sword, I haven't much time to think straight.

Wines: Okay the booze is original, I mean based on real things and just making the regional, it will happen with other foods and drinks too.


	9. Duel

Hi this is Benji Himura I am starting a new fanfic. I don't own Ragnarok online I also don't own the characters of that story or the plot; taking out the changes that I will make and the characters that I will create. I own Benji Himura and others characters that will show up in the story. It might be violence and sex in the story so if you are underage of seventeen are warned the content might be too improper to your age. Read by your own will and risk. In anyway enjoy the story.

Signed: Benji Himura

"Text" Talked sentences.

'Text' Thoughts.

-Text- Sounds effects.

(Text) Talked sentences in a foreign language

: Text: Messages show in an electronic screen or written.

**Text**: something being recalled, flashbacks, scenes being replayed.

_Text_: a detail found in a location, scene, person, recording and images that originally wasn't there.

Chapter eight: Duel

"Please tell me that I haven't heard the sound of hooves." Benji said looking at the demon girl. "Lord!" The demon girl shouted cheerfully seeing the Lord of the Death ridding at their direction. 'I am screwed…' Benji thought seeing the entourage of demons and ghosts.

Benji acted quickly and ran to the sludge pit, but the entourage chases him. Benji blocks the strike of three Wanderers using the sword that he stole from one of them, Benji grinned seeing that the three demons attacked his left side, the side that he is holding on the sword.

With a strong swing Benji cleaves the neck of two of the Wanderers killing them, but the cleaver is stuck in the dead neck of the third, Benji abandon the blade and grabs his secret anti-mob weapon a double doppel bapho +10 gladius that he keeps tied on the inside of his belt.

The dagger splash damage quickly clears the area from the smaller demons, but the Lord of the Death is charging at his direction. Benji parries the massive spear attack; Atsuko appears from her hiding spot and packs a combo on the demon. Throwing all the attacks that they can Benji and Atsuko defeat the MPV, thankfully for Benji the demon focusing on attacking Atsuko and he dodged every one that came in his direction, he wouldn't stand one hit.

"You look dead." Atsuko said between gasps. "But we killed him all by ourselves." "A sequence of heals would be nice." Benji replied in the verge of collapsing. "Hold a bit, I need to get more SP." Atsuko said. The Loli Ruri looks at Benji confused. "You are human?" She asked troubled by what she saw, she knows that the lord will reappear in a short time.

"Yeah." Benji answered. "What you will do?" The demon girl looks confused for a while. "Give me that mushroom and I am fine." She answered. "I can't take it from my inventory." Benji said. "I have a couple of them." Atsuko said showing two mushrooms to Benji. Benji gives one to the demon girl, she cheerfully eats it. "Yum!"

"Yuck…" Benji and Atsuko said as one. "I have enough SP to get a portal to Niff." Atsuko said to Benji. "We speak to the Kafra and I get some blue pots and heal you." "Sounds like a plan to me." Benji replied. Atsuko casts the spell and they leave the cemetery.

"Okay what you are doing here?" Atsuko asked to the Loli Ruri as they stand in the middle of the city. Benji runs his hand over his face. "That mushroom is a taming item right?" Benji asked to the demon girl. "Exactly." She answered with a smile. "You are fun."

"How many pets someone can have?" Benji asked to Atsuko. "I heard of rich people who have many." Atsuko replied pointing to the moon riding girl. "But I never saw anyone with more than one, especially one of those."

Benji sighed sitting on the ground. "I stopped trying to understand things months ago." He said lying on his side. "Changing to more pressing issues what about the healing?" "I am going to get the pots." Atsuko replied.

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"Once again I will expend thousands bucks to repair everything." Benji sighed as they walk to their inn in Payon. "Even my boxers need to be repaired again…" Atsuko smiled sympathetically. "It happens to everyone." She tried to comfort him. "I even pay half of it since the blain for that stupid quest it mine; if I wasn't snatched you would have support. On the bright side you gained one and a half level today, just one and a half more and you will be a sinx, not to mention your new pet."

Benji sighed again looking over his shoulder and seeing Ruri eagerly looking around trying to see everything, she never saw anything other than the landscape of Nifflheim. "I just wonder how she will get along with Tsugumi." Benji commented. "I hardly got used to having her and Ruri falls on my lap."

"Other men would be happy in having cute girls falling on their laps." Atsuko teased. "Other men don't have my worries." Benji replied. 'Or a horde of women with sex related trauma to manage.' He added on his mind. "Anyway you need a bath you are reek blood." Atsuko said covering her nose as a gust of wind blows.

"I like his scent like that." Ruri commented flying now next to them. "Considering what I saw you eating I am not surprised." Atsuko deadpanned. Benji remained in silence, while disgusted at the demon girl eating that mushroom he also ate some grossing things as Drops and Loli Ruri's. 'The Lolis could use some seasoning and they would taste fine.' Benji mused recalling the bland taste of the raw demon flesh. 'Maybe a little salt…! What in name of heavens am I thinking?!'

"Anything wrong?" Atsuko asked as Benji holds his head. "Just trying to get rid of some thoughts." Benji replied. "Think on something else." Atsuko said with a smile. "Like last night!" Benji sighed again as the memories flash on his mind. "I need a good soak." Benji muttered recalling of his private bath back in Sakura Keikoku Silver Moon Castle.

"Why you are smiling like that?" Atsuko asked to Benji. "Kind of wistful and distant." Benji chuckled light running his fingers on his matted hair. "Just recalling a sight that I really love." Benji answered. "When I was there seeing it I never really saw the true beauty of it, now that I am distant I finally realized it."

"What sight?" Atsuko asked curious. "Sakura under the moonlight." Benji answered. "A girl?" Atsuko asked feeling a pang of jealousy. "No." Benji replied. "Cherry blossoms at night are a really beautiful sight." "Cherry blossoms?" Atsuko asked confused. "Never saw it."

Benji smiled and stretched. "One day I show you." Benji said recalling of Amatsu, he hated to admit but he came to love that city, it would only make parting harder. "Amatsu's cherry blossoms are a beautiful sight."

"You are from Amatsu?" Atsuko asked curiously. "No, I am from a very distant place." Benji answered. "But I came to call Amatsu home after some time traveling." Atsuko nodded understanding. "Well you got me curious." She said lacing her fingers behind her head. "I want to see what kind of place you came to call home."

Benji nodded but he was a famous figure in Amatsu if he walks around he would be recognized in the spot and in less than one hour his guild would know that he was there. They enter on the inn and Benji is surprised in seeing Ruri jumping out of her moon and it shrinking to the size of pendant and attaching itself to her collar. "Well it explains things." Atsuko commented as they walk to their room.

"Tsugumi are you feeling better now?" Benji asked while opening the door of the room, and then he realizes that he locked it when leaving. Benji still red irises shrink as he sees two knights, one bard and one priest assaulting the Sohee.

They can't react fast enough and defend from Benji's attacks, the four falls from the now shattered window to the street bellow. "Tsugumi what happened?" Benji asked covering her with a sheet. Tsugumi hiccupped clutching on the sheets covering the red welts and bruises on her exposed skin.

"Atsuko heal her." Benji said before leaping out of the window and landing between the partially stunned group; he was out for blood now and he wouldn't settle less than twenty liters of it, extracted directly from his now preys. Ruri followed Benji summoning her moon in midair to aid in the battle.

Alone with the cute pet Atsuko heals the wounded girl, and once she was done she would help Benji with the punishment, she had a feeling that Benji would kill them if left alone.

Benji parries a powerful slash from one of the knights, it was a now familiar move and Benji drives his new ice pick between the knight's armor plates stabbing the thin spike between the ribs. Ruri is dealing with the priest; she knows well that for her he was the most dangerous, besides if she kills the guy he won't heal the others making easier for master to extract his revenge.

The second knight attacks Benji as the first holds his wounded side, Benji dodges the attack and strikes back, while unable to pierce the front of the chest plate two slashes appear crossing on each other over his heart. The bard fires at Ruri thinking that his arrows will hit her.

As a pet Ruri is protected from harm by magic, she can attack but not be attacked. As the priest falls unconscious the demon girl turns her immaterial scythe to the bard. Holding his ground against the unhurt knight Benji sees more adventurers running at their direction and he can see the guild mark on them, it was the same brand of the four that he is fighting against.

Casting a Venom Dust Benji backslides and stabs the distracted bard with his Wanderer's sword. "Call to arms." Benji chanted making a signal with his right hand. "Come to my side, my fangs, my claws and my steel!"

Layla, Erika, Makie, Marine, Bella, Saya, Katia, Miura, Alexis, Isis, Haruka, Ami, Melissa and Jannine appear from fourteen teleports fully armed and ready to battle, at least they should be. "Mou what is going on?" Haruka muttered rubbing her eyes. "I was sleeping… Benji-taisho!"

"To arms!" Layla shouted understanding what is going on. "Inners and outers!" Benji roared the command. "Ryokai!" They shouted getting on a previously arranged formation.

Benji, Layla, Alexis, Ami, Saya, Melissa, Erika, Jannine and Ruri surround Makie, Isis, Haruka, Marine, Miura, Katia and Bella. In the front line an assassin, a two knights, one swordswoman, one monk, one blacksmith, two battle priestesses and one Loli Ruri, are covering one dancer, one full support priestess, one multi class mage, two wizards, one sage and a second full support priestess.

That formation allows them to attack the enemy, heal their companions and protect the casters as they cast, it also gives them freedom and other possibilities to change the battle formation and strategy in case of need. It lacked the firepower from the hunters but Benji couldn't get them on the summoning because the limit of the number of summoned people.

"Oi taisho why you left Karen, Miki and Chris out of this?" Layla asked standing next to Benji. "I haven't really considered using this skill so I never really thought in a really balanced pack." Benji answered holding his Wanderer's sword in his left hand with a reverse grip. "Now that I used it I realized that the extra firepower would be handy, but they don't have archers there."

"Still it would be good to have them here instead of your lower level favorites." Erika commented. "Thanks for the kind words." Alexis snickered. "Oi Isis you are blind or something?" Layla called to the novice priestess. "Heal our leader and start giving buffs; you are in there for that single reason." "Hai!" Isis exclaimed surprised.

"What you did to piss off those people?" Jannine asked to Benji. "They attacked Tsugumi." Benji answered as the opposing guild charges at them. "Now I am the pissed one." Jannine hissed readying her double slotted +7 morning star and her buckler.

All the others get on their own positions, Katia breaks the casting of the enemy's wizards, Isis and Bella buff the group, Melissa uses her own skills to increase the group's power.

Makie used Gypsy's kiss to reduce the SP cost of the group's skills and increase their SP. Marine and Miura are casting Lord of Vermillion together, Haruka is casting Frost Diver against a charging blacksmith. The front liners attack the closer enemies with a mad fury while supported by the priestesses in the rear.

Atsuko watches the fight, she was impressed with the coordination of Benji's party, the enemy guild have three times more people than he does but unlike Benji and his friends who are organized and acting in a clearly trained formation they aren't sticking with any kind of strategy or planning, they are just charging head on just to meet a sturdy barrier of metal and sorcery.

It was a clearly defensive formation, something that wouldn't do much good in WoE unless if they were the ones defending the Emperium from attackers in the Emperium's room, however it was a effective formation when fully surrounded by a large mob since it protected the one with low HP and defense as they cast their spells to aid the attacking line with supportive and offensive spell, no one would be with their backs exposed to harm preventing back stabs and someone sneaking past them.

Benji curses as his gladius gives away and returns to his inventory, it was his last good dagger and his wasn't with katars on him. A new wave of knights, blacksmiths, rogues and assassins fall in the ground unable to fight. Benji and his fellow guild members are less tired than the attacking guild, at least the girls are, Benji is gasping for air after a harsh day fighting, and he wasn't in shape for that.

"Taisho!" Haruka exclaimed throwing to Benji something. Benji turns and grabs a pair long cloth tied package. Benji thanked as he stores a sword, two knives and one katar on his inventory, it would keep him working for a while. The knives are a pair of Damascus; it would pack a decent damage.

Makie destroys an explosive bottle while still in the air. "We have to do something about those priests." Layla said as two priests heal and resurrected the fainted fighters. "You girls can hold this formation with out me and Layla?" Benji asked to the others. "It will be a bit tight inside here." Makie commented. "But I don't think that it will be much of a problem."

"Focus the buffs on us." Layla said to the priestesses. A series of spells is quickly cast as Layla uses two-hand quicken and a berserker pot. "Stay behind me." Benji said to the lady knight. "As if even potted I am faster running that you." Layla replied with a provocative smirk.

Benji bolts forward as launched by a bow, Layla follows him closely as the others close the circle. Now Benji felt on his environment, fighting defensively wasn't of his liking, he prefers to directly take death to his opponents and Layla shares that liking as they cleave through the surprised guild.

"Sonic blow!" Benji shouted before turning one of the priests into bloody ribbons. "Bowling bash!" Layla shouted making of ground zero of her attack the second priest. Benji casts Venom dust on the area while dodging the despaired attacks of the fighters there.

"We really shouldn't let those two play together." Makie commented seeing the damage that the duo are giving on the enemy. "I don't know; they are doing rather well." Erika commented fainting another rogue with her Stunner. "No wonder they are our MVP killers."

"I just want to know how they will get out of there." Alexis shouted taking down a blacksmith. "Getting out of there?" Makie asked laughing. "We are working in two fronts now, to them get out of there every enemy must be crushed under our feet." "You people are insane!" Isis shouted casting Sanctuary on the group.

"They are monsters!" An archer shouted seeing the battle from the outside. "They aren't monsters." A huntress said to his trainee. "Check the brand of the guild, they are blue dragons. They are worse than monsters and that is why we don't get involved on other guilds other than the archer's."

"I heard that flatie!" Makie shouted to the huntress who gets red in shame and anger. "But I am really considering in joining that guild just to hit that dancer slut." She muttered shaking in anger. "But it is already over." The young archer said pointing at the battle.

Benji is holding a beautifully ornate and now bloody two-hand sword, at his feet is the knight that he marked his armor with his ice pick, the armor is tore open and there is a vicious cut on the man's chest, he desperately gasps and coughs blood, struggling to breath.

Benji raises the sword and is about to drive it down to knight's head. "Easy there!" A powerful male voice shouted, Benji looks at the direction of the voice holding the tip of his sword just one hair away from the knight's forehead. "It is over already, that guy isn't with the safety on and unless you really plan on killing him you should stop." A golden armored Lord Knight said walking towards Benji followed by a High Priestess and other transcendent classes.

Benji shrugs and raises the sword again; he was going to kill the guy so why bother. Hold a second there!" The Lord Knight shouted seeing that Benji wouldn't stop. "DO you have any idea of who I am?"

"Does it looks like I give a damn about it?" Benji replied stabbing the ground next to the fallen knight's head. "He is always that hostile or he really doesn't like knights?" the blonde Lord Knight asked to Layla. "A bit of both." Layla answered in a flat tone. "I don't dislike knights." Benji said in a level tone. "But I am going to kill this one."

Unlike Benji Layla knew who that knight was and from what guild he belonged, but she is as devoted to Benji as any of the girls that he freed, if he was challenging them then she would stand by his side as his sword should be.

But instead of being angry the golden knight laughs heartily. "Have been a really long while since I met a really spirited guild, and you guys aren't just hot air, you live up to the rep. Especially you General." Benji remains in silence; by calling his guild members he removed the hide of his guild name, symbol and post.

"Don't you think that is a bit too much?" The knight asked to Benji while showing the area with his arm to make him look at the fallen men around the area. "This is a city and not a castle, and it isn't even time for WoE. Unless you have a damn good excuse for killing that guy over there you should stop this right now."

"He assaulted my pet while I was in a dungeon." Benji said in a flat tone. "She was in my room in the inn because she was sleeping off a hangover." The knight sighed; while not well know some guilds did that to provoke other guilds or people. "And you know why they targeted your pet?" He asked.

Benji denied, he didn't know and didn't care as long he killed the guys. "You destroyed the Waster Years, they had the really bad habit of stealing experience from others not using the safety so they could gain more experience." The knight answered. "That guy over there is from a guild that was rather close of the Wasted Years. Since they weren't with the safety engaged no one survived from that guild. So this Golden Years is or at least was out for revenge."

"Another reason for us to end this now." Layla said with her hair bristling. "They aren't a treat anymore." The knight replied. "From self-defense it would be murder." "As if those scum aren't criminals either." Layla spat, she recalled some of the conversations that she heard while tied on the bed in the Wasted Years, she never gave much importance to them but she remembered in hearing the name Golden Years and how they are using them for free.

"Why not let the guard take care of them now?" The high priestess said walking to Benji and Layla, her long alabaster colored hair swaying she walked to them. "Look around you, see how many people gathered here? How many children? You want them to see you killing those men in cold blood now that they can't fight back?"

Benji had to admit that the priestess was right, and that she had a really strong will since the hateful glare that Layla is throwing on her would make lesser men and women soil themselves and cover in fear. "And if you general are still thirsty for blood." The knight said unsheathing his sword. "Duel with me for the right of taking them as your prisoners."

The girls, the bystanders and even the high priestess thought in the brief moment when Benji took his hands from the sword hilt that he was going to deny, after all who in their right mind would fight a much stronger opponent when barely standing on his feet.

Layla let out a yelp of surprise when Benji tears her blue bandana from her head and uses it to tie his blood matted hair. With a powerful kick on the blunt side of his sword Benji sends a cloud of dust in the air in the direction of the knight and grabs the spinning sword, driving it down in a vicious arch against the heavily armored knight.

The Lord Knight blocks the attack with a grin. "GOOD!" He exclaimed excited. "That impetus! Yes this is what I was looking for!"

"Envenom!" Benji shouted driving one Damascus at the blonde man's right side. Taking the blow the knight laughs excited. "This is why you held it with your weak hand! You aimed in my armed side, my blind and defenseless spot! Knight Killer let's see if you can pierce my armor!" With a strong thrust he shoved Benji away, skidding on ground Benji halts his movement, he was used to that kind of momentum from using back dash.

The High Priestess covers her eyes with her left and shaking her head in disgust. "Why I ever agreed join him?" she muttered annoyed. "Dante if you lose I will make sure that you won't get any for six months!" She shouted angrily. "And if you win will you will sleep with the dogs for six months!"

Dante the golden Lord Knight froze on his tracks, he can tell that she is really angry. "Helen how I am supposed to pick one when both are bad?!" Dante shouted back to his companion. "As if I care!" She replied. "You are picking on the…!"

Benji used that distraction to attack the knight, holding the ice pick as a katar Benji fired his still developing dagger sonic blow. Dante cursed as eight series of sparks fly from the left breast of his armor.

Benji cursed as the two edges snap and return to his inventory. "Envenom!" Benji shouted smashing his right hand heel on Dante's chin sending the knight staggering backwards.

"You were saying Helen?" Dante asked wiping two trails of blood from his chin. "Picking on the weak?" He snickered looking at Benji. "The general over there fights like a beast." Benji draws his sword and attacks Dante; the knight parries the blow and strikes back, Benji evades the attack and strikes again. Dante presses the attack and Benji stops attacking and focuses on dodging.

Everyone stares at the fight, the bluish silver lines of the sword tracing the air as the two fighters move, Dante strong and large movements from a swordsman and Benji with small and fast steps, leaning and moving out of the range of the sword with the grace of a dancer and the speed of a thief.

Layla stared impressed, she felt that it was partially her fault that the uneven fight is taking place, if she had show the fear that she felt at the sight of the lord knight perhaps Benji wouldn't have rushed in the battle.

Benji blocks a powerful downwards strike with his sword, thrusting upwards Benji sends Dante's blade and arms move above his head, dashing to the right Benji pulls back his sword and lunges at the exposed side.

Dante released his left hand from the hilt and holds the strike minimizing the impact on his side, at the same time he strikes downwards again using a Bash. Benji is launched back with a vicious cut on his already damaged armor, blood flies in the air as he lands on the ground.

Dante shakes his now numb left hand. "You have a very vicious strike." He said to the fallen assassin. "Well balanced, with a good arch and uses well the sword's weight and length to enhance the damage."

"Taisho!" Haruka shouted running to him. "Stop! It isn't over yet…" Benji hissed also showing her his bloodied left hand palm as an additional stop gesture, using his sword as support Benji stands up, blood falling from his cut as he forces himself up. "He..!" "Don't!" Benji shouted preventing Isis and the other priestess from healing him.

Pulling the sword from the ground by the bloodied hilt Benji lunged at the lord knight again. "Amazing stamina." Dante said blocking the strike. "And honor too. No one would have complained if you allowed them to heal you."

"If I am healed I can't do this!" Benji shouted throwing a handful of blood on Dante's face. Startled by the sudden attack Dante staggers back, knowing how hard is to wipe blood using metal gloves Benji strikes.

"Fire bolt!" Dante shouted, and ten fire bolts fly at Benji's direction. Benji blocks three of them with his sword, two more he manages to dodge but the remaining five hit him dead on. Benji fall face down with steam rising from his body.

Dante uses a handkerchief and cleans his face. "I never met anyone as you before general." He said looking at Benji. "Still moving?" He asked seeing Benji moving his left arm. "Impressive, how much hit points you have after all? A normal assassin would be down by now."

Benji kneels supporting on his sword. "I am everything but normal." Benji hissed as he pulls himself up. "Now I get it." Dante said walking to Benji. "You are a multi class too. Your skill with a sword comes from being a former swordsman, so this high amount of hit points."

"That actually comes from my stubbornness!" Benji shouted lunging at the knight once again and this time he disarms the knight with a strong upwards slash. Benji striked downwards hitting the armor once again. Dante leaps backwards and gets another sword from his inventory.

"Yes this is good, it has been a really long while since a one on one have made me this excited." Dante said holding an Excalibur. "But general you are forgetting that I am a whole different level as a multi class." Dante casts a Thunder storm. Benji blocks and dodged as many bolts as he can, but more than eighty percent of them are still impacting against his body.

When the spell ends Benji falls face down again, Dante walks to him and grabs Benji's left ankle and lifts him. "You have to do much better than that if you want to defeat me." Dante said casually. Benji who was lightly stunned and faint recovers, and kicks Dante face with his right foot while packing an Envenom punch on the knight's groin.

Dante throws Benji away. "Now it is getting better." Dante commented wincing. "But that area is really well armored, but still...you really know how to pack a good punch…"

Layla noticed how all the males watching the event seems to be wincing as well the knight. "…Heal…" Benji hissed using his depleting supply of SP. Benji stands up with more ease but still heavily injured. "Thun…!" Dante cast is interrupted and he holds his forehead with his left hand as a stone falls making a clicking sound as it hits the armor.

Benji readies a bash and charges at the lord knight.

Dante strikes down with a bowling bash, shattering Benji's armor and cutting his momentum, instead of retracting Benji moves forward even faster slashing hard at the knight forcing Dante to be defensive.

"What is going on?" Isis asked confused. "It is the armor." Layla answered. "The armor gives protection and benefits, but it also weights and cuts on the speed. Now that the armor is gone he can move and attack faster." "But without the armor he will take the entire damage of Dante's attacks." Erika said seriously.

Holding Benji's sword against his chest plate using his armored hand Dante brings his sword down, Benji lightly taps at the side of the sword as he dodges making the edge move from the planned arch unbalancing the knight. "What the…!" Dante shouted moments before Benji slashes upwards smashing the blade against his chest.

"It won't pierce!" Dante shouted slashing upwards, Benji slides back avoiding the slash. "But I have to admit that you are persistent." Once again Dante is attacking and Benji is dodging. Benji attacks with a savage thrust at the knight's chest; once again the armor sparks as the edge dents the armor and loses its sharpness.

Bringing the sword down Benji slashes it again; Dante shoves the blade away and attacks Benji once more. Haruka looks at the heavily dented sword that she gave to Benji less than ten minutes earlier. The two fighters leap away from the other.

Benji leans on his sword for support regaining his breath. "You are amazing for someone who haven't transcended yet." Dante said between breathes. "But your sword is dull and I can tell that you aren't healing the damage as fast as I am. And I can't forget that I really have to praise you for fighting as a knight instead as an assassin"

Calmly replacing the Excalibur for a spear Dante readies himself. "But as you saw my armor is solid and my sword is swift." He continued. "You can't pierce it, therefore you can't win."

Dante charged with the spear to finish the duel. As he did with the sword Benji taps on the blunt side as dodging, this time Benji uses the sword with his left hand. "What?!" Dante gasped surprised. "Again?!"

Benji is with now with a katar and fires a sonic blow against the lord knight. 'When he poisoned that?' Dante asked while with a vicious strike sending Benji away, Benji hits the ground and skids on the hard surface marking the soil. "I concede!" Dante laughs covering the left breast of his chest plate with his right hand. "General this match is yours!"

"Dante what you are saying, he can hardly move." A sage of the same guild asked pointing to Benji, the hair band broke with the impact and his hair is covering his face, his badly wounded right hand is trying to reach to his heavily dented sword, on his left hand the shattered remains of his katar.

"True, he can hardly breathe now." Dante said with a smile. "But if his blade hasn't shattered in the seventh strike…" Dante uncovers his armor and reveals the broken metal, pieces fall from the cracks exposing his under armor. "All his armed strikes had only one purpose, while he attacked my face, legs, and arms with his feet and hands all his armed attacks were aimed to this spot, all for the sake of that last strike." Dante chuckled lightly. "He planned everything to this point; I thought that I was the one leading this combat but it was the other way around."

Benji loses the last remnants of his strength and his hand falls limp on the ground. "Helen if you fix him I won't get laid for seven months." Dante said to the high priestess. "I don't think that his own priestesses will be able to fix him."

"He does deserve that after what he did to you." Helen said walking towards Benji. "Put down your blade, I am not going to harm him." Helen said as Layla blocks her path to Benji. "Your friends won't heal him as well as I can."

Layla still eyeing the high priestess with suspicion sheathes her sword and steps aside but remains close of her. "Resurrection." Helen said holding an ornate staff above Benji's limp form. When the light is gone Benji is still as dirty and ragged as before but most of his wounds are gone. "Heal." Helen said healing the remaining wounds of the assassin.

Benji coughs and turns, he is staring at the white haired priestess. "Don't mind me I am just fixing you up." She said with a gentle smile. "How it ended?" Benji asked sitting up as she does her work. Helen smiled at his words and actions; he was rather calm for the blood thirst assassin that was fighting until few moments ago.

"You won." Dante said walking to them. "I admit that in an official battle or real thing you would have lost, but that was because a second rate or damaged equipment, you shattered my armor right above my heart. A certain kill hit."

Dante picks up Benji's damaged sword. "Awesome work, first rate edge, where you got this one?" he asked looking to Benji. "This edge took a good beating but is still usable." "I don't know, a friend gave to me." Benji answered. "I see, no wonder is this good." Dante said nailing the edge on the ground. "So general what you will do now, according to our terms they are your prisoners."

"Just thrown them in a pit to die." Benji replied. "I will let the guard know that." Helen said with a smile. "And I will make sure that they will meet their punishment." "Well it was a pleasure fighting against you." Dante said pulling a card from his inventory. "I can't use this but you still can, and this is a reward for capturing all those criminals and compensation for the damaged weapons of everyone."

Dante hands to Layla two gold bars and to Benji a brown colored card. "That is a renewal card." Dante explained. "It allows people in their second jobs as you to multi class even after passing to second job, use it and become stronger because I will be really looking forward to face you again for real in the WoE."

Dante leaves after those words. "I am sorry about that, he is a bit impulsive but he is a good person." Helen said with an apologetic smile. "He just took a liking of you guys. Now if you excuse us we will deal with those men and the damage of the city."

Helen walks away as the other guild members take care of the Golden Years. "What just happened?" Benji asked to Layla. "Who are they anyway?" "The MOST powerful guild of Rune-Midgard." Layla answered still not believing in what just happened. "They hold all the castles of Prontera for the past ten years. You never heard about the Kingstone guild?"

"Never heard about it." Benji replied in a plain tone. "Ugh…" Layla covers her eyes in disgust. "Anyway Benji-taisho won this duel which means that he is strong too." Haruka pointed out. "In case if you haven't noticed Dante haven't used many of the skills that he possesses. While I admit that is a feat to be able to defeat a transcendent class like this it won't happen again." Layla replied seriously.

"Moving to more important things what we do now?" Erika asked looking the crowd around them. "Two words." Benji answered. "Warp portal." "Point taken." Erika replied casting the spell.

"So why haven't you helped?" Helen asked to Atsuko who was watching by the inn's door. "It matters?" Atsuko asked back. "You were traveling with him." Helen replied. "And I know that you are a loner, you don't do that without a reason." Atsuko remains in silence as the high priestess walks away.

Benji changes his clothes and stashes his damaged clothes in his bag after taking one of the bars from Layla. "You are going again?!" Haruka asked surprised. "Tsugumi is in Payon." Benji answered. "And I still haven't recruited anyone."

"But mmmgffhfhfffff…!!!" Layla holds Haruka from behind covering her mouth. "Be more careful." Layla said with a smile. "I plan to." Benji replied. "And I will buy you a new bandana to replace the one that I ripped."

"Forget about it." Layla replied with a smile. "It was the one that I use to sleep, but if you can get me a bunny band I wouldn't complain." "Okay bunny band." Benji said nodding. "Sorry for the harsh call but it was really needed."

"We don't mind was a good exercise." Erika replied with a smile. "We all got experience from it too. Good luck in the recruiting." "Thanks." Benji replied shouldering the pack. "And Ruri you stay here, you call too much attention and people already know that I have a Loli Ruri cute pet, so if I take you they will know who I am and I won't be able to check the new members." Benji said turning to his second pet.

"Okay, I think that I will have fun here too." Ruri replied. "Hang around Layla and you will get fun." Benji commented. "Layla you take care of Ruri too, she is a nice girl once you get to know her."

"If you say so." Layla replied looking at the demon girl, while Haruka struggles on her arms. "Well see you girls later." Benji said before teleporting away. Layla let go of Haruka. "Why you did that?!" Haruka shouted at the knight. "Because you were going to try talking him to stay and he wants to go for a while." Layla replied.

"Ruri let's go take a bath I am sure that you will love our hot spring." Erika said for the pet. "Sure sounds good, whatever that is." She replied with a smile, the two leave Haruka and Layla arguing in Benji's office.

In Payon Benji returns to the inn wearing a new assassin attire. "Sorry for taking this long but I had to cloak to get in here." Benji said entering on his room. "It is okay." Atsuko replied. "Tsugumi is sleeping."

Benji nodded looking at the sleeping pet. "Let's change of inn, this one is too noisy." Atsuko commented picking up the pet. "I know a good one that we can trust." Benji nodded and follows the monk knowing that he will have to remain cloaked on the way out.

End of the chapter eight:

Author explanation corner: (For those who don't know this is where I explain things from the story, I am taking this from the same section from my Ranma fic.)

Sakura Keikoku Silver Moon Castle: I had to come with a name for Benji's guild castle, as anyone with some anime knowledge knows sakura means cherry blossoms. Keikoku means valley in Japanese, while the castle itself isn't in a valley it has a view of one that is always showered by falling sakura petals. Silver moon is there because it sounded fitting with the whole atmosphere of the castle and Japanese legends. More details about the castle will come.

Call to arms: Variation of the guild skill Emergency call. As seem in the story it summons fourteen guild members fully equipped to the location of the guild master regardless what the guild members were doing in the moment of the invocation. Origins of this and other skills will be given in the story in future chapters.


	10. Reasons

Hi this is Benji Himura I am starting a new fanfic. I don't own Ragnarok online I also don't own the characters of that story or the plot; taking out the changes that I will make and the characters that I will create. I own Benji Himura and others characters that will show up in the story. It might be violence and sex in the story so if you are underage of seventeen are warned the content might be too improper to your age. Read by your own will and risk. In anyway enjoy the story.

Signed: Benji Himura

"Text" Talked sentences.

'Text' Thoughts.

-Text- Sounds effects.

(Text) Talked sentences in a foreign language

: Text: Messages show in an electronic screen or written.

**Text**: something being recalled, flashbacks, scenes being replayed.

_Text_: a detail found in a location, scene, person, recording and images that originally wasn't there.

Chapter nine: Reasons

Tsugumi hovers behind Benji as he enters on Ramirez shop, Atsuko is out to buy blue gems and few other things that she needs. "Ramirez I need your services again." Benji called from the entrance. "Hey Midori where is Ramirez?" Benji asked to the green haired trainee.

"He is out collecting material today." Midori answered. "He went with his usual party to a dungeon today." Benji sighed. "Well I brought some damaged things that I needed to be repaired." Benji said dropping the bag on the sturdy counter making the solid wood crack under the weight.

"Some damaged things?" Midori asked wide eyed. "Well most of my usual weapons, armors, hat and stuff." Benji answered. "I had a really bad day yesterday." "So I heard." Midori said trying to lift the heavy pack, she grunts and pulls on the leather slings without making it move. "It is on the papers too."

Benji sighed at her words. "Anyway how long until he returns?" Benji asked. "Until who returns?" Ramirez asked entering on the store. "You." Benji answered. "My stuff broke." "I heard, and that is why I was out." Ramirez answered. "I figure that you would be coming here when I saw the body count in the papers." "At least I had a reason." Benji commented. "Well let me see the damage." Ramirez said picking the bag and opening it.

"Once again the hat is garbage." Ramirez said handing to Benji his sweet gent. "And I was taking a liking of this one." Benji sighed, Tsugumi takes the torn hat from his hands clutch it against her chest; she also liked that hat. "The manteau, the ninja suit and the rosary are history too." Ramirez added.

"And the cards?" Benji asked. "It can be salvaged." Ramirez answered. "Which is a good thing Nine-tails is a hard card to get it, but the kobold card is gone." "Well I can live without it." Benji commented. "The weapons are all reparable. I will be done in one hour." Ramirez answered. "So you want to look for some my pieces of armor to replace the damaged ones? I have a nice +10 slotted chain mail."

"Sounds good but is too heavy and bulky for me, not to count noisy." Benji replied. "Any +10 slotted ninja suits or thief clothes?" "Slotted ninja suits are rare; I was impressed that you were crazy enough to make it a +10." Ramirez replied. "However slotted thief clothes are more common and I happen to have a pair of them. I sell it for twenty millions."

"Two of them for thirty four and we close a deal." Benji answered. "Unless you make a fifty millions purchase giving you a discount would really cut on my profit." Ramirez replied. "You know how many slotted thief clothes I lost to make those two?" "If you add a bell for my Sohee I pay your price." Benji shot back. "Sold then." Ramirez replied handing to Benji the items. "Boy I really love making business with you."

"How much for the repairs?" Benji asked. "One million." Ramirez answered. "You have change for a gold bar?" Benji asked. "Yes." Ramirez replied getting a scale. "It is a good thing that I am rich that one must be worth at least five hundred millions." Benji paled at the idea that Dante so casually gave two of those to him.

While Ramirez readies the money Benji ties the bells on Tsugumi's hair. "Now cheer up." Benji said with a smile. "I don't like to see you sulking that badly." "But the hat…" Tsugumi replied. "I will hang next to my Sakkat." Benji commented. "But I liked this one, it is comfortable." Tsugumi said. Benji nodded understanding. "I like the bells." She said smiling at the clear sound of them as she moves, still holding the hat Tsugumi quickly cheers as she hears the sound of the bells.

Benji and Tsugumi leave the shop after getting the money. "Well back to garment hunting." Benji commented stretching. "I also need a new hat." "I can help with the first one." Atsuko said walking to Benji holding a pauldron. "Since your manteau was damaged because I was snatched I was going to give this to replace it."

"But it is way more expensive than my manteau." Benji replied. "I can't use it." Atsuko said seriously. "Now take my present, it is +9 I didn't want to risk the last time." Benji nods and takes the piece of armor. "How long until you get your arms back?" "One hour." Benji answered. "I was thinking on hat hunting until then."

"Don't you have anything in your storage?" Atsuko asked. "I have few things but it is not like I want to use them." Benji answered. "Like what?" Atsuko asked curious. "Well I won from a friend a pair of black cat ears." Benji answered. "I have a pirate bandana, an opera mask…"

"Let me see you with the cat ears." Atsuko said excited. Benji sighed, living around girls as he did in the guild he learned to detect signals of when a woman wouldn't give up on something and he was picking them on Atsuko. Walking to the Kafra lady Benji thought in ways to not use it permanently.

"They are cute." Atsuko said looking at the bow that Benji handed to her. "You ever checked them?" She asked seriously. "No why?" Benji asked. "What is to check on them?" "Benji these aren't black cat ears." Atsuko said seriously. "This is a set of customized Lord Kaho's Horn. They give huge stat bonuses and this one is +10."

Benji looks impressed at the cat ears. "Mana…" Benji whispered holding them. With a sigh Benji puts them on. "No choice but wear them right?" he asked with a smile. Atsuko nodded wondering who would give him such rare present.

"You look good with them." Atsuko said with a smile. "They match your hair color and if I do this…" Atsuko changes Benji's hairstyle and smiled widely at the sight; Tsugumi covers her mouth with her robe's sleeve and giggled.

"Now they look like they grow from your head." Atsuko said cheerfully while tying the bangs of Benji's hair in the new style. "You are going to stay like that now." Looking at himself in a fountain Benji smiled, it wasn't so bad, besides he likes nekomimi.

"Still I have to do a hat hunting." Benji commented. "I need to buy for Layla a pair of bunny ears since I ripped her bandanna." "Then to Prontera's main street!" Atsuko exclaimed.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Ramirez what you did to my gloves?" Benji asked to the master smith. "Enhanced them a little for free." Ramirez replied as Benji looks to the metal enhanced leather gloves. "You like to punch so I added some reinforcements on it, some blades on the sides in groups of four so you can cut with them too."

Benji tries on the gloves, they were quite light and the so called side blades are closed. "Well it isn't so bad." Benji commented. "If they are a hit I will make lots of money selling them to monks and assassins." Ramirez commented with a smile. "You are pretty famous so people really work hard to get similar pieces of armor than you."

"You have a bunny band?" Benji asked. "Yes I do why?" Ramirez asked back. "I am taking one." Benji answered. "Three hundred thousand." Ramirez replied. Benji nods and buys the band. "At least I got everything that I needed." Benji commented pocking the bow.

"You are sure that you don't want a better head piece?" Ramirez asked. "I have some nice things in stock." Benji smiled as Atsuko chuckled looking at Benji's cat ears. "I like these besides…" Benji said rubbing his left cat ear. "…who would think that the great blue dragon general is wearing a pair of black cat ears?"

"Point taken." Ramirez replied with a nod. "See you later Ramirez." Benji said before they leave the store. "So hun where you want to go now?" Atsuko asked with a smile, she can't get enough of Benji with his cat ears.

"Putting this card on good use." Benji said pulling his renewal card. "Since I am level 97 now I can easily gain the job levels for the first jobs and as that guy suggested multi-class more, if I come to face him in WoE I might need to broaden my weapons." "Sounds like fun." Atsuko commented. "Then let's go!"

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Layla stretches sited on Benji's chair. "How in name of heavens he can do this?!" She asked in annoyance when seeing the every growing pile of documents on the right side of the desk. "Management sucks?" Erika asked seeing her friend's angry face. "Big time." Layla replied. "I am really starting to understand why our leader gets so tired, this damn pile only grows."

Erika takes one of the papers. "Guardians development progress." She reads on loud. "Defense enhancements, serious stuff. When we suggested this guild we never thought that would become like this."

Layla nodded leaning against the chair. "I thought that would be a place for us to find solace and comfort each other after being raped for so long." Layla said clenching the hilt of her sword at the memories. "A place where we would feel safe and protected."

"And we do feel like that in here." Erika replied sitting on the sturdy desk. "This guild, this castle is our home. We feel safe because we know that in here no one will harm us, we have a strong guardian."

"He doesn't have the responsibility to look out for us Erika." Layla said seriously. "I still don't understand why he risked so much to rescue Sara who was a total stranger to him." Erika smiled. "Godsend." She said resting her chin on the back of her hand. "Speak clearly to me Erika I am not religious as you are." Layla said confused.

"God's miracle came for us in the shape of our beloved commandant." Erika explained. "Sara was kidnapped just after meeting by chance a good man who cares about others and helps because the goodness of his heart, he helps others so they will know kindness and be kind to others, to give to them a chance that he might have never had or that he had in the past. Sara was kidnapped in front of a man who would be able to rescue us all and gives to us the possibility of regain faith in men."

"Trust me Erika I don't want ever feel a man on me." Layla said seriously. "Ever again." Erika smiled gently. "It was horrible what we suffered." She said in a gentle tone. "However we can't just shut ourselves to love because the damage of evil men, some of our sisters have started to heal. Elise was able to accept the touch of her fiancée who understands, accepts and loves her."

"So what I don't get goose bumps when touched." Layla pointed out. "You have layers of metal between you and someone else." Erika pointed out. "And the male that ever touched you without armor since the day of the liberation was taisho, and you don't get goose bumps from him as I also don't, because we know that he won't do anything to us."

Layla remains in silence. "How we changed from speaking about the guild development to rejection to males?" Layla asked to her friend to change the subject. "Because our guild creation is related to our negative reactions towards male after months of sexual abuse." Erika answered. "But as you wish let's change the subject, as you said the guild grew and that happened because necessity, two were the reasons, the first to get more members to defend this castle our home, and the second is to introduce in the middle of us women who were brutalized women who weren't in hopes of helping us to overcome our trauma."

Pausing a little Erika picks her chart. "And the guild growth comes with more tasks, managing the cost of everything going from pots to weapons." Erika said seeing the members list. "It also includes leveling up the weaker members so we can defend this castle, if we have kept that fort or moved to a new one we wouldn't have to worry about WoE, but we wouldn't have gained this wonderful castle, worth of fighting for."

"Well you do have a point in this place being worth of fighting for." Layla commented, she snorted. "I would fight for the bath if I had to." Erika chuckled. "Definitely the best part of the castle."

"But it is unfair for him." Layla said serious. "Why we forced all this responsibility on him?" "We didn't forced, well we pushed a bit on the formation of the guild but we never intended to end like this, we wanted to thank him for his selfless action and show that our lives are his to use." Erika replied. "He took the responsibilities as they came without any complaints. Maybe we should have been more active, helped more not only with tanking but with this kind of chores."

"We offered him out lives Erika, instead we are taking his." Layla said seriously. "I heard from Isis that he used to be free, wander around Rune-Midgard at his own pace going to wherever he wanted when he wanted, now he is chained to the guild."

"A chain that we severed." Erika replied. "We are taking more responsibilities, now he is out once again able to move as he wishes to. Yes it hasn't even passed two days before he was back here but I think that we are moving in the right way now, we can make this road pleasant for everyone if we share the weight of the guild instead of letting him carry it alone."

"Still I think that is wrong." Layla commented. "Isis said something to me, I don't recall exactly when, but she said that he looked very different from when she met him, not only his clothes and the tiredness." Erika said casually. "She said that when she met him he was serious, even a bit stoic and dark, as mourning for something and that recently even tired and bugged by the lower girls he was a little light hearted. And comparing to how he was in our last guild day he was very different yesterday after the battle."

Layla nodded. "Yeah, he felt somehow different." Layla commented with a small smile. "He said that was in a party with a monk and they were getting experience together." "I think that he likes our company, but we choked him too much until recently." Erika said. "Now with a little liberty and more space he is filled with life once again, is like when we leave a flower away from the sun, it withers, and if we put too much water it may kill it. We have to find the right balance."

Layla nodded understanding. "Well speaking of balance I got an idea." She said clapping her hands. "Call that alchemist friend of yours. She is a merchant class so she should be good with accountings."

"You mean Clare?" Erika asked. "That one." Layla replied. "She wasn't on a guild in the last time that I heard from her." "That because she doesn't like working with guilds." Erika said. "She said that in all the guilds that she was invited they used her as a pot maker."

"Considering that alchemist can make pots I am not surprised." Layla commented. "And you know very well that we don't explore our chemists like that, we ask them to make and give the material. But we let then leech or pay for the pots in exchange for the pots."

"I will talk to her." Erika said. "But I won't make promises, why not asking to the merchants that we already have here?" "They need to level up and you know Clare longer than we know our friends here, so we know that we can let her take care of some of the finances of the guild." Layla answered.

"Actually I trust more in Melissa with money than in Clare." Erika commented. "Melissa understands what we have been through and the value of this guild she wouldn't steal from us. I will talk to Melissa I am sure that she will be able to manage doing the books in part of her free time."

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Tsugumi drinks water from a bamboo canteen. "You don't look well Tsugumi." Benji said looking at his pet. "It is too hot." Tsugumi replied. "Maybe you should go back to Sakura Keikoku." Benji said while feeling Tsugumi's forehead with his right hand's palm. "You are hot, maybe you got a sunstroke, you lived in a dark cave since your birth, and I guess that I exposed you a lot to strong sunlight."

"And the fact that she wears those robes doesn't really help either." Atsuko commented. Tsugumi smiled weakly, Benji had noticed before that Tsugumi's skin was pinker, he thought that she was getting a healthier color because she is living under the sun, maybe he should have more care, being exposed to Morroc's heat, then to Comodo's and finally Gonryun might have been too much for the Sohee.

"Atsuko I will warp to my guild and I will be back in a while." He said to the monk. "Okay, I will be on that restaurant over there, when you get back we eat something." Atsuko replied nodding.

Back in his bedroom Benji can tell that Tsugumi isn't as uncomfortable as she was under the sun. "Go take a cold bath." Benji said to the pet. "I will ask to Erika watch over you until you get better."

"But what about traveling?" Tsugumi asked sadly, she was enjoying seeing new places and new things. "We do it again later, after you get used to the sun." Benji answered. "Atsuko and I will be going to do that level hunting; you can stay here and rest." Tsugumi nodded and follows Benji out of the room.

As he guessed he finds Erika and Layla in his office. "Taisho!" Layla exclaimed surprised bolting to her feet, she wasn't expecting him to return and catch her sited on his chair.

"Don't worry about it." Benji said casually. "You are working so you can use it." "Taisho while content with your return why you are here so soon?" Erika asked to him. "Tsugumi is suffering because sun or heatstroke, she lived in Payon dungeon until a while ago so she isn't used to the sun." Benji answered. "I brought her back because I don't want her to suffer, and here she can stay in the shade and take short sunbaths to get used to it, I also wanted to ask to you take care of her for a while."

"Sure." Erika replied with a smile. "I will get her a lot of fluids and cool her down with a nice soak in the cold spring." "Thanks." Benji said to the priestess, he turns to Layla with a smile. "And I found your bunny ears."

Benji puts on Layla's head not the bunny band that she was expecting but a brand new and hand made bunny beret. "She is cute!" Erika squealed with a smile. "I want one too!"

Benji pulls his pocket mirror and borrows it to Layla; the mirror was a must that he always carried after being lost in Sograt desert it allowed him to make signals. Layla is blushing madly at the new headgear.

"Where you found it?" She asked tugging on the right ear. "I bought the bunny band and I thought that was a bit too bland so I got a beret in Prontera and sewed the ears on them." Benji answered casually. "It looks better on you than the band would." "It does! It does!" Erika squealed bouncing around her friend taking in every detail of the new head gear.

Layla is too embarrassed to say anything and is looking at her feet, sneaking a glance on her smiling commander she screamed surprised pointing at his hair. "Cat ears!" Erika turned her head so fast that was a miracle that her neck didn't broke with the speed. "Cute!" Erika shouted seeing the new headgear of her leader. "Where you got it?"

"I have this one before I made this guild I just kept stored." Benji answered with a smile. "Besides after losing two hats I guess that I should use something else and who would think that the leader of the Seiryu's legions would be wearing cat ears?"

Erika nodded happily agreeing while looking at Benji. "Well I would love stay and tease Layla more but I have to go now." Benji said casually. "You girls have fun and you Tsugumi take easy." Tsugumi nodded seeing Benji casting a warp portal. "And Layla you are looking good with those." Benji added before leaving, the silver haired knight face goes red and steam rises from her neck.

Erika chuckled. "Well Layla you also need to cool down now." She teased. "Let's go soak in the cold spring for a while." Layla nodded still blushing madly. Erika and Tsugumi giggle seeing the ears bouncing and moving at every movement of the knight. Layla blushed more but she is inwardly happy, after all she now owns a unique headgear made by no one other than her taisho.

It was lunch hour and that means that the entire guild was in the guild for lunch and it is needless to say how excited all the girls were about Layla's new hat, nothing like a new headgear to make all adventurers go wild with excitement.

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Back in Gonryun Benji finds Atsuko in the restaurant for lunch. "You come here often?" Benji asked as the monk makes the order for them. "Every now and then." Atsuko answered. "There is this really nice spot here in the city where I can see really far, it makes my problems seem so small that cheers me up quickly."

Benji nodded understanding. Resting her chin on the back of her hand Atsuko asked to Benji. "Benji why you decided to become an assassin?" Benji was surprised with the question. "Well it isn't much of a story." Benji commented. "But I can tell that you want to hear." Atsuko nodded lightly at his reply.

"I was a swordsman; I decided to be one since it sounded well balanced and good for a beginner." Benji started the tale of his first time playing Ragnarok online. "I suffered a lot to get money to buy myself equipment and other things, but I was enjoying, well half enjoying and half not enjoying my time as a swordsman, I was thinking if I was going to be a knight or a crusader, I haven't thought on that since I was slugging on levels as a swordsman."

Atsuko nodded attentively listening to his tale. "One day I was alone as usual killing monsters in Payon, actually suffering to kill an Eggyra already planning on killing another one that was moving near when this assassin guy came." Benji continued recalling the blurred scene. "The guy, I never saw his name or if he was from a guild, well maybe I did but I don't really recall it. Anyway he trashed that other Eggyra with such a speed and ease, he used one or two sonic blows and it was dead. I had finished mine and I asked from which class he was, he said that he was an assassin, the second job from a thief and left. I immediately worked to change my class and started a new as a thief."

Atsuko nodded understanding. "The guy was awesome; it took me a long time to become an assassin, it even haunted my dreams and I was still a loner, every now and then I got in a short party." Benji continued. "But even like that I helped some novices or first jobs. So and how you decided to be a monk?"

Atsuko smiled wistfully. "Well I grew in a very small village between Yuno, Einbroch and Al de Baran; it was a very isolated place." Atsuko said. "The village was small and we lived within a palisade to protect us from monsters, it was a normal rural village without any really important things, without any attractives to travelers or adventurers, but occasionally a group or two visited, well asked for shelter from the night as they were in their way for one of the main cities. We warmly welcomed them since they brought us news about the world, our people didn't travel, and in rare cases few boys and girls left the village to become adventurers or seek a better life in a more welcoming environment."

Making a pause Atsuko toys with a pair of chopsticks with her free hand. "The land around our village was very hard and poor, the crops normally were only enough for us to live without hunger same with livestock." Atsuko continued. "It was a peaceful and uneventful life, the highlights were weddings and other kind of parties, specially harvest festival, the occasional visit of traveling adventurers and merchants broke the routine for few days bringing us stories from distant lands and strange creatures."

Benji nodded in silence, it sounded like a common existence in Rune-Midgard. "But one day when I was ten years old everything changed." Atsuko said seriously. "The monsters became really aggressive, our weak and old palisade that we thought that was strong and sturdy broke after three hits, we all ran to our stone houses and locked ourselves in, but some of us were caught and killed by the monsters. We were terrified."

Atsuko licks her lips as recalling of something. "The monsters drag the dead ones away and left, just in the next day the adults had courage to leave the houses and check the damage." Atsuko continued. "Our well were poisoned and broken, we think that was by accident since a monster fell on it when attacking the others attack it making it fall, we lost our only supply of water and only had what we had collected in the previous day. It only lasted three days, that drinking very little, barely enough to allow us to live."

Benji remained in silence unsure of what to say to her. "The fastest ones among us decided to run to Al de Baran in hope of get us help, the monsters were attacking every day." Atsuko resumed the tale. "But they weren't far or were fast enough to escape the monsters. One week passed and many of the kids and elders died because of thirst. I was also suffering a lot from it, and even the adults were fading. One day we thought that it would all end when a large mob came to the village."

Atsuko pauses and takes a deep breath. "Our village was destroyed, nearly everyone were killed." Atsuko continued sadly. "But then help came, it was small group of adventurers that were seeking for some food, one knight, one mage, one assassin and one priestess. A rather average group, I was really affected by thirst and almost dying when she came, at first I felt a warm, at the same time cool and comforting light surrounding me, then I felt something deliciously wet against my lips, I coughed and drank it, it was orange juice, it tasted so delicious, never after that day I tasted one as good as that one."

Benji remained in silence and understood her words, he after all survived in the desert eating drops and raw desert wolf puppies, the first drink that he had of something was an apple juice and it tasted as nectar from the gods should.

Atsuko smiled, not sadly or bitterly but wistfully and gently. "Feeling alive I opened my eyes, my vision weren't blurred anymore." Atsuko said wistfully. "Then I could see the face of the priestess, she was beautiful, her hair was so white that was almost like a halo of light around her, her hands glowing lightly as she was healing me, I knew right then that I wanted to be like her."

Atsuko chuckled lightly. "Afterwards I learned that counting me there was a total of ten survivors, of three hundred and sixty three people only ten lived." She said seriously. "My family died, I was sad but they died painlessly and were released from the maddening thirst. Since I was alone I asked to be send to where I could become a priestess, the regent was very kind and he was actually going to give to every one of us a new home and jobs in Al de Baran, since I wanted to become a priestess he gave me an account on Kafra and placed in there an amount of money equivalent to the price of a house and eight years of support, the money that I would gain until I was old enough to work by myself, with that knowledge and support I moved to Prontera."

Atsuko sips on her orange juice and looks at it. "I worked hard as a novice, back then the novice gear weren't available." Atsuko said with a smile "Anyway after one week I was ready to become an acolyte, and I thought that being a novice was hard." Atsuko chuckled lightly.

"For seven years I worked hard, fought in several dungeons and met many parties." Atsuko continued running her finger tip on the edge of her glass. "Before I noticed I took a wrong turn in my evolution, I was fighting monsters with a stunner that I got from a merchant in Morroc, I had good equipment and was strong enough to handle enemies on my own, but it was hard. When I was experienced enough to change I went to the church I was going to finally become a priestess."

Atsuko frowned. "There I was told that I wasn't priest material." Atsuko said angrily. "I was so angry I barely held myself from hitting the nun with my stunner with the same strength that I used on monsters. I felt like crying in rage and frustration, my life long dream of being just like that beautiful priestess that saved my life was being denied from me."

Taking a deep calming breath Atsuko downs her juice. "Before I beated the sister to a pulp, still with tears burning my eyes I was interrupted by a voice that I would never forget." Atsuko said with a smile. "It was her, the very same priestess that saved my life, she had transcended and became a high priestess and she was even more beautiful than in my memories. She took me to a walk and asked me to tell her what had happened.

Atsuko looks at the rosary around her right wrist. "We walked around Prontera and told her what have happened; she chuckled lightly and said that something similar had happened to her." Atsuko continued with a smile. "She took me Glast and asked me to show her how I normally fought monsters. I beated them down one after the other with her buffs and heals. Then she told me that I could become a priestess if I wanted, but I wouldn't be like her."

Fiddling with the rosary Atsuko paused. "Then she took me to Geffen for a tea." Atsuko said. "She said that while my calling happened because of her our paths were different, she also looked up for someone, that someone was a really strong monk, a man that crushed stones with his hands and his fists could shatter boulders, she trained hard but she saw that she wasn't fit to be a monk, she wasn't strong enough or fit to close range battles, she spoke to that monk and he said that she was a person that gave comfort to the bodies and souls of men and not to fight in name of God."

Atsuko spins the rosary on her fingers. "Well she said that I was a monk material, a person able to take God's name to places where others can't, that our bodies are strong and able to endure harsh journeys to the far corners of the world to take the word and justice by ourselves." Atsuko continued. "While I could have became a battle priestess being a monk suited more my style of combat, and my own role model said that she was a little jealous of me and thought that was funny how both of us ended taking the path that the other wanted. After that day she helped me to gain even more experience, she said that my road was harsh so I would need to master as many skills as an acolyte as possible."

Benji nodded understanding; he did the same with his thief skills. "When we deemed that I was experienced enough she went with me to see me becoming a monk." Atsuko said smiling. "She game me this rosary as present for achieving my second job and gave me my Kaiser knuckles. After that we traveled together for few more months, even today I keep in touch with her even thought I am journeying by myself and she is with her friends."

Atsuko looks at Benji and blushed. "I didn't bore you with my story did I?" Atsuko asked embarrassed, even thought she resumed a lot it was still a very long tale. "Not at all." Benji replied with a smile. "I am impressed with your story." Atsuko blushes even more. "It isn't an uncommon story." Atsuko muttered embarrassed.

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Three days have passed since Benji left Tsugumi in the guild. "I must to say that you are a cute cat aco." Atsuko teased Benji as once again he leaves Prontera's church as an acolyte. "Don't make me use my sword mace on you Atsuko." Benji shot back. "I am like this to get the remaining skills then I will change to a mage and get some sorcery."

"Well at least it won't take long until today you filled the swordsman's skill, archer's and merchant's in this rate before lunch today you will be changing to a mage." Atsuko commented. "And then back to thief and assassin."

"Then let's get back to Niff I want to get back to my usual clothes." Benji replied casting a warp portal. Atsuko chuckled entering on the portal; she was having fun hanging around with Benji.

End of the chapter nine:

Author explanation corner:

Atsuko's village: As anyone playing RO knows there isn't any other towns than the ones that we can access on the game but since this is the 'real Rune-Midgard world' as one would see if living in the world of game it would make sense to add more villages cities, jobs and details that we don't see in the game.

Safety (part two): The safety, what we see in the game as 'dying' and returning in a save spot or in the place where you 'died' by the use of items or spells. It doesn't work in non-adventurers or in cases of natural death. (Heart failure, age, untreatable illness, and others)

As said before the safety can be turned on and off, and affects the experience gain of the adventurer. The safety can be bypassed by certain methods that will named in later chapters.

Customized Kaho's horns: In one of servers there were the option of customizing the Kaho's to look like any other piece of head gear of your selection, for a price.

Bunny beret: Okay as said in the story this is an original piece of headgear that I made, I just couldn't resist the idea of making a bunny girl out of the so serious Layla, the idea of the bunny band came just as a desire of an adventurer for a hat, anyone who played or still plays know how much people like and look for hats.

I by myself went on a quest on my old server to make a Moonlight Flower hat, it seems that was removed but it used to give some nice bonuses on agility and luck, also had a good defense, not to mention that looked nice, I was really angry when the hat looked like a kitsune mask instead of the hat of the Moonlight Flower, anyway back to the bunny beret.

As anyone who went on a hat quest or even felt like 'I really wanted to have a hate like (add your hat in here) to put on my character.) So I made the bunny beret for that purpose, new hats and items might pop out on the story and I will list them here, if I forget one remind me in a PM.

Tsugumi's sunstroke: Let's admit a monster that was born and raised so deep in the bowels of the earth would have some negative reactions to sun exposure, let's all remember that Sohees only appear in Payon dungeon three and bellow no sunlight that deep.

How decided on your class scene: The tale of how I decided to follow the path of the assassin in RO happened exactly like that. As I said I was a total rookie trying out the game with no experience or friends there so I selected what I thought what would be the most less maintenance class of all.

I had no idea of how hard is to make money in RO and how expensive good things are in the NPCs and even worse with merchants. Since I didn't knew anything or anyone I ended walking around Rune and killing whatever I could for loot and XP.

Atsuko's story was something that I thought that would be some common incident in Rune-Midgard, let's admit they live in a world were powerful creatures roam around in the wild it is natural that incidents like that happen every now and then.

Well I guess that this covers mostly everything that would raise questions or doubts in this chapter, if you have any questions about objects or other things that appears in the story PM me and if isn't a spoiler I will gladly answer your questions. Thank you all for your reviews and support, as well for reading this story. I hope that you are all liking it.


	11. Party and party

Hi this is Benji Himura I am starting a new fanfic. I don't own Ragnarok online I also don't own the characters of that story or the plot; taking out the changes that I will make and the characters that I will create. I own Benji Himura and others characters that will show up in the story. It might be violence and sex in the story so if you are underage of seventeen are warned the content might be too improper to your age. Read by your own will and risk. In anyway enjoy the story.

Signed: Benji Himura

"Text" Talked sentences.

'Text' Thoughts.

-Text- Sounds effects.

(Text) Talked sentences in a foreign language

: Text: Messages show in an electronic screen or written.

**Text**: something being recalled, flashbacks, scenes being replayed.

_Text_: a detail found in a location, scene, person, recording and images that originally wasn't there.

Chapter ten: Party and party

"Sorcery sucks." Benji commented sitting in one of the benches in Geffen's square. "It isn't all that bad." Atsuko replied with a smile. "Your build is for a fighting class and not sorcerer." "It still sucks." Benji said feeling uncomfortable with those damned mage robes.

"You are just five levels away from level 50 come on Benji it only took your three weeks." Atsuko cheered. "You can do it, let's get back to Niff were you can kill some Lolis and get those levels."

Benji sighed looking at the monk, he couldn't understand why she is so excited about his development, but was nice to have her around. "Fine but I am taking out these." Benji said pointing to his robes. Atsuko pouted and nodded, she loved to dress up Benji with new clothes on each new job that he changes. After a quick change of clothes to a simple set of pants, shirt and jacket Benji and Atsuko are moving to the Kafra, Atsuko wants to store few things before they leave.

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Back as an assassin Benji sighed in pleasure wearing the clothes that he likes, it took him a total of one month to finish all the basic jobs and he filled as many skills as he could in those classes, he even learned a pair of new skills as an assassin. "What now?" Atsuko asked to the once again assassin. "You are still level 97." "Leveling up some more." Benji answered. "You still are edging to move to 98."

"It is okay for you not being in your guild for so long?" Atsuko asked worried. "We aren't in the WoE yet." Benji answered. "Now the guild is focused on leveling and in this past month everyone leveled nicely. I can still move around, I still haven't found any new members for my guild."

"I feel offended that you haven't asked me." Atsuko said with a pout. "You already are in one guild you said that to me." Benji replied teasingly. "Still it would be nice." Atsuko replied sticking out her tongue.

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"For the umpteenth time we aren't recruiting!" Layla shouted at an annoying archer that was following her and her party in Glast Heim. "And even if we would only the general can recruit and he isn't here, besides no one here would put a good word for someone as annoying as you are!"

"I am not giving up." The archer replied in the same way. Erika sighed at the young male archer, casting a warp portal the archer runs on it trying to follow them. Erika smiled and closes the portal. "Where you send him?" Layla asked curious. "Niff." Erika answered.

"He is dead." Alexis commented casually. "He deserved that, god he is so annoying and was stealing our experience." "But sending him to Niff is a bit harsh." Ami now a knight said feeling sorry for the archer. "If Benji-taisho were here the guy would be nursing a broken jaw." Haruka commented.

A female crusader walks towards Layla and Layla can already foresee the incoming question. "Where you got that hat?" She asked looking at Layla's bunny beret. "My guild leader gave me." Layla answered. "I don't know how he made it or got it." The crusader nodded understanding and walks away.

"At least everyone likes your new hat." Erika commented teasingly. "And it also gives a nice flee and accuracy bonus. We should ask for taisho to teach us to make more of those."

"Yeah I also wanted one of those." Ami commented looking at the beret. Layla sighed since he gave her that beret everyone inside and outside her guild were teasing her and asking her about it, yes she loved the beret but the fact that is unique and new makes everyone want it.

"Back to what is important." Layla said seriously. "How much loot we got anyway?" "My cart is half full." Melissa commented. "So we should have at least a couple of millions here." Layla nodded pleased, it was a drop in the bucket when compared with the amount that they have stored in the guild treasury after the duel with Dante.

"Nice hat." A male voice said from behind the silver haired knight. "I don't know where he got it!" Layla shouted turning around. She gasped seeing the familiar face of her commander and blushes madly at her reaction, hurriedly apologizing profusely and embarrassed. Benji laughed softly at her reaction. "So they are bothering you a lot because of it?" He asked casually, he wasn't angry at Layla's reaction.

Layla blushed even more and muttered an affirmative. "Benji-taisho what you are doing around here?" Haruka asked surprised but happy in seeing him after three weeks. "My partner and I are helping an aco in here." Benji answered. "But the aco fainted and returned to Prontera and my partner is waiting by the Kafra to bring her here. I was just killing time around here. And you girls?"

"We are fund raising again as well leveling." Erika answered with a smile. "Speaking of funds…" Benji commented pulling an envelope from his pocket. "Using the bar that I took I made some money and bought some cards." He hands to Layla the envelope. She checks it and gasped. "Six doppels, four Phreeoni, two Baphomet, three mistress and two pairs of Dark Lord and Dark Illusion cards." Layla exclaimed shocked. "Where you got those?"

"I bought them." Benji answered. "I also got some weapons and armors too but they are in my storage." "We also made some purchases." Layla said hurriedly storing those cards in her inventory; they were worth a fortune and wouldn't risk losing them. "We bought some cards for armor, footgear and accessories, also clips and gloves."

Benji nodded pleased. "It is hard to believe that a guy would just give us that much money as if he was giving out pocket money." Benji commented, all the girls nod agreeing. "Anyway we should and will use it for our benefit. Well managed we can make that money grow even more."

Melissa nodded agreeing, even now the other merchant class of the guild was in Prontera selling the goods that the guild collected and returning home with small fortunes.

"So how much we have in the treasury?" Benji asked to Layla. "Since the bar were worth five hundred millions, we had seventy nine millions in the treasury not counting a equal amount expend in equipment for us of the inner circle, not counting the one hundred and twenty five millions that we expend in cards, arms and armor we have there four hundred seventy six millions." Layla answered. "Not counting the amount that is with you."

Benji nodded surprised with the value. "Well from the five hundred that I had." Benji said. "Adding to the money that I had on my own stock I am with four hundred and six millions." "It is too much money." Ami commented impressed with the cipher. "And you are looking good as a knight." Benji said noticing that Ami is armored and not with her swordswoman's dress. "Thank you." Ami replied fidgeting embarrassed at his compliment.

"Our arsenal is also quite big." Erika commented. "I believe that we have enough arms of good quality and carded to fight in the WoE without problems. Some of the girls of lower level are using doppel arms and are leveling faster." "We also raised our average level to eighty." Layla added.

"That is really good." Benji commented. "In what level you are?" "I am on ninety three." Layla answered. "It is so hard to level now." Benji nodded understanding. "And how are the others taking this new routine?" Benji asked. "They are taking very well." Haruka answered. "Everyone is happy that they are getting stronger, but where are the people that you said that were trying to recruit?"

Benji chuckled. "I haven't found any good prospective members." Benji answered with a smile. "There is the monk that I am hanging around with but she is already in a guild." "Finding good members is something that takes time." Layla commented understanding.

"Anyway I will go back to the entry." Benji said to them. "Layla, Erika I want both of you to PM me when you two reach level 94." The two look at each other confused. "Sure but why?" Layla asked confused. "I will be taking you two to level up." Benji answered. "Show to you two how it works in those levels since is very hard, then later you two cal show to the others, so I will be teaching the training routine."

Erika and Layla nodded understanding. "Should we take any other members of that level too?" Layla asked. "Sure, I think that will be okay." Benji answered. "You girls keep up the good work."

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Layla looks jealously at Atsuko as the blonde monk chats with Benji casually as they get ready to a new excursion on Nifflheim, Erika, Haruka, Alexis and Melissa are also there. Layla had to admit that the girl was hardworking, it took one month for her to get on level 94, in that time Haruka jumped from level 76 to 94.

"Okay here is how we do it." Benji said turning to his guild members. "I will lure the mob, Erika cast Magnus Exorcismus around me who will be their target, Haruka you cast another area spell, your select the one that you think that is more effective. Alexis and Layla you two will be in charge of keeping Haruka and Erika safe."

"And she?" Haruka asked pointing to Atsuko. "She will be aiding me." Benji answered. "Buffs, heals and battle support if needed." "We took a Lord of the Death by ourselves." Atsuko commented cheerfully. "Our teamwork was great in the beginning and now that we practiced it a lot we are almost one hit killers."

"How you two killed that MVP by yourselves?" Layla asked in horror. "Well it wasn't exactly easy." Benji replied looking at his watch. "Benji packed splash damage and cleared the area and weakened him and I came from behind and used a combo with an Asura finish." Atsuko answered. "Girl I still don't know what the hell Benji was packing or using but he was destroying all by himself against mob."

Benji sighed inwardly knowing exactly what gave him the absurd bonus that he had back then. "And now that Benji covered all the classes in multi-class he also has several more stats bonuses thanks to skills." Atsuko added cheerfully. "But it was expensive to move through all the classes." Benji commented. Layla nodded agreeing.

As they move on the usually mob and adventurer crowded Nifflheim the group levels in a steady pace, Melissa was using greed on the loot for more found for the guild and leveling expenses.

In a break in Niff city to unload the cart Layla walks to Benji. "Taisho you are in what level now?" She asked checking if they were far from the others, especially Atsuko. "I got on 99 one week ago." Benji answered. "Now all my experience is going to the guild."

Layla nodded in silence with two months to their first time in WoE the guild was becoming stronger but they still lacked members and allies. "We don't have allies." Layla said seriously. "We can't count only with our guild to defend on the entire day of the WoE, many guilds will be attacking, an unknown number of adventurers charging all day long at our castle."

Benji nodded agreeing he was also worried about that. "I know but isn't like we are in the good side of many people." Benji commented. "We turned down many people who wanted to join either by our fame or because they think that in our guild they would have a harem. I don't have many friends since most of my time I was leveling like crazy."

"Erika and I are checking with our friends." Layla said. "But some of them are already in other guilds and they are comfortable there, you know in those guilds that are just a group of people that help the other to level and occasionally MVP killing and partying." Benji nodded understanding, originally his guild was supposed to be like that.

Benji sighed recalling his prospective new member Alan, after he changed back to assassin he met her several times and saw that she had became an assassin too, but the girl was really mad when she saw Atsuko kissing him, from her expression he was more than sure that she would join a rival guild out of anger.

"After we get you girls on level 99 we go scouting." Benji said seriously. "And who are those we?" Layla asked. "I was thinking in you and Isis." Benji answered. "That not counting me. Alexis and Erika would take care of leveling the others with Haruka."

"And that monk?" Layla asked pointing to Atsuko. "Atsuko is a trustworthy person." Benji answered. "We are traveling together since I first left the guild, she is reliable." "She is from a different guild." Layla replied. "She doesn't even tell us her guild."

"As I haven't told her mine, she saw because that incident in Payon." Benji said seriously. "And who know we might make an alliance with her guild?" Layla remained in silence she was still suspicious of Atsuko but she would remain in silence since Benji trusts on her.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Anything wrong Layla?" Erika asked to her friend as they enter on their room in the inn. "I don't like of that monk that is around our leader." Layla answered unbuckling her sword's belt. "She is hiding her guild."

"We are also hiding our guild from others." Erika pointed out resting her staff against the wall next to her bed. "People have many reasons for hiding the guild brand; we do to prevent being harassed."

Layla throws her sword over her bed and starts to remove her armor. "Or you don't like her because she traveled all alone with our leader for two months?" Erika asked with a teasingly tone, from the way that Layla flinched at the question Erika knows that she hitted in Layla's sore spot. "You are jealous of her."

It wasn't a question but an affirmation, the knight knew that. "Yes I am." Layla said throwing her plate armor and chain dress over her bed staying only with her undershirt, panties and greaves, her bunny beret was carefully placed over the pillow. "You saw how she acts, how they move together."

"They do have a good rhythm together." Erika commented taking out her dress. "But you are forgetting that both of them have similar fighting styles, we know very well that taisho uses unarmed attacks." "It is more than that!" Layla exclaimed sitting on her bed. "I can tell she is all over him."

"Let's say that it is true." Erika replied sitting on her bed and facing her friend. "Isn't his choice? You know as well as I do that one of the main reasons that our sisters love him so much is that he could have told us to have sex with him because of our oath of being his to command as he sees fit, but he doesn't command us to do that, he respects us, he treats us like human beings and understands our trauma. Isn't it natural that he seeks a relation or even just sex from someone outside our guild or even from the girls that he brought in? He doesn't take advantage of any of us."

"Haruka is willing to do anything for him, why he goes out to look for it?" Layla asked. "Because he saved Haruka from being mobbed to death in Amatsu's fields." Erika answered. "Isis told me how he woke her in the middle of the night all wounded and covered in blood with Haruka lightly wounded asking to be healed."

Layla remains in silence. "And if you really like him why you don't tell him?" Erika asked in a gentle tone. "If he likes someone else or don't see you as a lover it might be a bit awkward for a while but I am sure that after a while you will become stronger, we know that he wouldn't turn you down harshly."

Layla could almost hear herself saying a similar speech to Haruka; now in Haruka's shoes she understood why the wizard was having so much trouble to tell him her feelings.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Two weeks had passed since the beginning of the recruitment period Layla and Haruka stare in disbelief at the scene before their eyes, just moments before Atsuko were saying that she needed to return to her guild and was saying goodbye to Benji and that she would send him a message when she was free to travel again. But before stepping inside a warp portal that she had cast Atsuko grabbed Benji's collar and pulled him to a passionate kiss.

"You will be seeing me soon." Atsuko said with a smile before moving to the portal. "Count on that." Before Haruka could finish her cast or Layla draw her sword the monk warped away. "What happened between the two of you?!" Haruka asked angrily. "Few things." Benji answered; while the relation with Atsuko hasn't advanced to lovers they became really good friends. "Now we have some recruiting to do."

………Far from there…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Mana takes a parcel from Cleo; the young girl is now a hunter thanks to the castle's dungeon and her message transporting missions. "Shina received hers?" Mana asked while cutting the string from it. "Yes." Cleo answered; once again Mana was sited in a window frame gazing outside beyond the camped enemy.

Mana nodded and Cleo moves away to deliver the remaining mail. Mana sees an old edition of Rune-Midgard's newspaper, reading the big, black and bold headlines Mana laughed and laughed hard and heartily. In another part of the castle Shina is laughing in the same way, Mana noticed the camped enemy looking up at the castle when hearing the laughter.

The sound of metal against metal signals the arrival of Shina. "You saw it?!" Shina exclaimed excited. "He won a one on one against that Dante! A one on one against a lord knight!" "I saw it." Mana answered with laughter on her voice.

"Benji Himura, the great blue dragon general, now also known as knight killer took part of a duel against Dante, the golden knight and scourge of the battlefield." Shina read from the newspaper on loud. "A duel deciding the fate of the members of the Golden Years guild who are now in prison for several accounts of rape and one account of assault. Fifteen members of the Seiryu's legions whipped out the forty seven members of the Golden Years guild in a fight in Payon; a party composed of ten members of the Kingstone guild who were passing by interrupted the end of the fight preventing deaths, after a short conversation Dante proposed a duel that was accepted by Benji Himura."

Mana chuckled imagining the scene, Shina did the same. "Wounded, bruised, bleeding and with most of his equipment damage even prior to the assault of the Golden Years Benji Himura took the first strike against Dante gaining the appraisal of the lord knight." Shina continued reading. "After a battle worth of a legends Dante using a spear repelled Benji Himura after his last attack, Dante then conceded the victory to the fallen assassin who were lying in a pool of his own blood trying to reach his damaged sword."

Shina and Mana stop laughing when reading that. "His hand fell limp on the ground when the piled up wounds over came the last of the powerful will of the assassin." Mana read seriously. "Dante exposed the damaged breastplate with a broken hole of the size of a fist over his heart, saying that he was led during the entire duel by his opponent Dante gave to him the righteous victory that was denied by a faulty blade."

"Helen, the white siren healed the fallen dragon after speaking with his faithful followers who were willing to die to protect their master." Shina said while sitting next to her friend. "Thanks to her powerful healing magic the blue dragon general was restored to his former glory, Dante admitted his defeat towards his enemy and declared a desire of face the general in battle once again during the War of Emperium."

"Then the general gave the rights of capture of the Golden Years members for the Kingstone guild." Mana continued. "Dante handed to his still recovering opponent what he called in a later declaration of winner's spoils. The exact contents of those spoils are still a secret because the crowd's noise using that moment. Benji Himura left Payon standing over his own legs followed by his guild companions."

Shina and Mana sighed in relief at that. "This is good." Mana said with a smile. "He became fairly powerful, for that Dante concede victory and declare rivalry it means that Benji is strong and will become even stronger."

Shina nodded agreeing. "And Ami is also stronger; she also took place of the battle." Shina commented showing a picture of the members of Seiryu's legions in the front page. "If she allowed us to call our other allies."

Mana nodded agreeing, she was stuck on that castle for almost nine months, yes the guild's fame and reputation were skyrocketing for holding a castle for so long but all the guild members are losing morale on each passing day locked inside the castle.

"I miss the desert's wind and sun, I miss eating whatever I wanted when I wanted." Mana complained gazing at Benji's picture on the newspaper. "I am horny and sick of being locked in here!"

"You and everyone else here." Shina replied. "Let's hope that our leader calls for our allies soon." "I really wanted to be there to aid him in his first WoE." Mana sighed folding the paper and placing back in the parcel. "Me too." Shina replied, she wanted to be there when her sister was knighted, she wanted to aid on her first WoE too.

Mana passionlessly checks the other contents of the parcel. "What is this?" Mana asked when moving aside some issues of her favorite magazine reveals a black beret with two bunny ears coming from it. "That is cute." Shina commented.

Mana pulls the beret and a small card falls from it on the floor. Shina picks it up and read it. "Ramirez told me that now and then a person from your guild visits his shop to buy items, so I asked him to send you this beret too. There are only three of them in the world." Shina reads on loud. "Benji."

Shina checks her own parcel and finds a similar beret. Shina smiled finding a similar card inside her beret. "We should send him some news." Mana said putting the black beret over her red hair. "So how it looks?"

"Cute." Shina replied at her brown skinned friend as he puts on her own. "How I look with it?" "It is for sure something unusual." Mana commented with a smile. "But it is cute too it you ignore the heavy armor."

"I wonder who got the third one." Shina mused playing with the bouncy bunny ears. "Well if Benji is wearing the cat ears it isn't him so must be someone from his guild." Mana commented. "But let's see what else we got on our mail, Benji wouldn't only send us berets and small cards." Shina nodded and they move to their rooms.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Ami sighed annoyed, sure leveling up with Benji and the others were fun but she wasn't pleased with how things developed, her sister told her that Benji would be a lone adventurer with on the tops a small party and in the beginning it was true, but in the same day that she arrived he got himself a guild.

She couldn't be angry at him for rescuing those girls, but annoyed her a little that Benji created a guild so casually solely to help those girls, sure everyone in the guild was nice and the girls were fun and friendly. In the beginning the mood was a little heavy, but their time in the castle and the injection of friends of the members in the ranks make it become much lively and happier.

"Anything wrong Ami?" Saya, the guild's monk asked seeing the young knight brooding in the empty mess hall, she was aware of the new period that the guild is passing by, first was the mass leveling to at least level 84, after it was leveling even more to get as far as they could, some of the girls outside the inner circle and Benji's companions before the guild reached on level 90 and the inner circle many achieved the level 99 thanks to him.

"I am having trouble with how things are developing." Ami answered to the older woman. "How our guild became one of the most famous and rumored more powerful non-transcendent guild of Rune? Why we have to fight for this castle?"

Saya smiled gently at the young girl, she was one of the rescued women from the Wasted Years, but she wasn't as active as the girls of the inner circle even belonging there, Saya preferred to give spiritual guidance to her troubled sisters.

"Because this castle is our home." Saya answered with gentle but serious tone. "I know that you can't fully understand why this is so important, but for us who were saved from the Wasted Years this place is our safe haven, it gives us physical and spiritual comfort, the sights of this castle sooths the troubled mind, the sakura garden that is the entrance of the dungeon, the sakura hot spring, it brings peace to us. Everyone here is willing to fight for our home."

"But I didn't want to enter in the WoE." Ami replied. "I wanted to have fun, savor traveling, meeting new people and new places, fighting mobs and get rare items." "And what you think that our leader wanted?" Saya asked seriously. "You think that in the day of the liberation he wanted to take care of twenty three women who were raped almost non-stop by an unknown amount of men for the profit of the monsters that captured them? That when he woke he said 'Now I will go out there and find a rapist guild, free their victims and take care of them and their recovery.'"

Ami remained in silence. "He didn't wished for this, but when we, actually I told him that we were hers to command as he saw fit and Layla handed him the Emperium he looked at us." Saya said seriously, no one outside the girls that Benji rescued knew that. "He was thinking, not hesitating or considering in how to use us, he was thinking if he should and could shoulder the responsibility, being our catalyst, a pillar of support that we could rely on, even after he was given this castle by Amatsu's ruler he thought about us, he moved us to this gorgeous place you have no idea of how this castle healed us."

"Then why he recruited your friends?" Ami asked. "He couldn't heal us alone." Saya answered. "Even trusting on him, he is a male, many of us were uneasy around males, afraid of them, having familiar faces here helped us to heal faster. Yes keeping this castle is another reason that he recruited them."

"Look Ami you are confused, you aren't the only one." Saya said gently. "The last four months were really intense for everyone; look at your friend Haruka. She was a novice in the very same day that this guild was created and today she is a level 99 multi-class wizard. This period was intense for her too."

"Haruka is almost fanatical about Benji." Ami pointed out. "If he asked to her strip naked in the middle of this hall while everyone was here eating so he could have sex with her she would." "It is a very colorful picture that one of yours." Saya commented. "But yes I also felt that about her, but she loves him and she isn't the only one in our guild that does. After all he is our focal point. You would be surprised with the number of girls in our guild that would willingly warm his bed pretty much on request."

Ami stared slack jawed at the monk's words, yes she felt that most of the girls stared Benji with admiration and some even adoration but that was a bit too far from what she imagined. "And you just accept that?" Ami asked in horror.

"What there is for me to not accept or refuse?" Saya questioned. "I don't control the hearts of my sisters or his will, if he wants and the girl wants there isn't anything wrong in them doing it. Ami everyone here looks up at him as an invincible figure, a man among men. It is natural for some of us wanting to bear his child."

Ami shivers at the idea. "We are drifting from the subject here." Saya said. "You said that you are having trouble in how things developed. Why you feel troubled about the guild?"

"I hardly have time for myself." Ami replied. "I like hanging out with the girls and leveling but in the past months I haven't met anyone outside the guild. Whenever I am speaking to someone I have to be careful to not slip the name of my guild, not let them know that I am from Seiryu's legions, I spoke with Tsugumi she was attacked because she was Benji's pet. I don't want to imagine what they would do to one of us."

Saya nodded, she was finally getting on the core of Ami's issues, it was fear of being attacked, a natural fear to have. "Everyone else here has that same fear." Saya said seriously. "That is why we move in groups, carry fly and b-wings. We had our share of attacks too, some angry adventurers after refusing to let them join us breaking dead branches where our group was, adventurers attacking us because we refused their advances and requests. But we also found good people out there."

Ami remains in silence. "Look this is a very troublesome period for everyone." Saya added. "After that first battle things will calm down in one way or another. If we defend the castle it will show that our strength is enough to hold attacks and we can move in a more leisure pace, if we lose then we won't have to worry about it anymore. It will hurt us but we will find another home. If you think that things are bad for you try thinking in how bad it is for our leaders, the people who have the responsibility of managing every one of us."

Ami remained in silence, she knows that after Benji's departure he created a ring of vice-leaders, Layla headed the list supported by Erika and Melissa who dealt with all the tasks that Benji used to take care all by himself. Alexis was now learning to take care of some of the tasks with the aid of Erika and Melissa. Ultimately the chain of command was getting stronger and more visible on the passing months.

Benji was the dragon, Layla and Erika are the second in command ranked fangs, Alexis and Haruka became talons, Isis and the other healers were ranked as soothing rain if they climbed high enough in the other posts, military Benji was the general, Layla and Erika captains, Alexis and Haruka led the team of lieutenants, Isis was part of the medical squad, and bellow the three ranks of lieutenants there was two ranks of sergeants, two of scouts, the remaining posts were reserved for new members in their trial period, needless to say that they are currently empty as most of the guild members reached the lower sergeant rank.

Ami was comfortable in her second lieutenant rank, in that way she was spared of most of the pressure of the higher ranks which are mostly occupied by inner circle members who are actually part of the group that was rescued by Benji.

Ami knows that the whole hierarchy was needed, they trained countless hours in strategies and other plans of defense and attack to use on the WoE, her position made her gain a medium importance spot in the defenses as one of the protectors of a group of hunters that are assigned to snipe out the enemy that enters by the gate.

Everyone was aware of their role in the defense and the most important spots to defend as well how to defend it. In the months in the castle all the girls know how to move inside the castle with ease, but strangers would get lost inside the maze like halls.

The large castle as all the official castles has a separate living area that isn't accessible for the attackers during the WoE or in any other period, the battle occurred on the so called main areas as halls, rooms and doorways, the area with the dinning hall, bedrooms and other private guild areas are protected from the WoE.

Saya leaves the knight alone so she can think more on things, she doesn't know if she helped the knight but at least she gave her something to think. The monk smile seeing Benji's pets walking towards the bathroom with a group of girls, the two pets helped everyone to relax; other guild members had their own pets but were mostly porings and baby desert wolves.

Marine one of the wizards has a Munak pet and the Munak often chatted with the Sohee and the Loli Ruri. Saya herself had a lunatic, Jannine was looking for an Alice egg or taming item, others preferred not having pets or haven't found one that they want.

"Anything wrong?" Jannine asked seeing Saya standing in the middle of the hall. "I am wondering few things." Saya answered turning to the priestess. "Maybe we need Benji's presence here, I spoke with Ami and she sounded troubled about things." Jannine runs her fingers on her sand blonde hair. "When he is around even in his office working the air here gets lighter." Jannine commented.

Saya nodded agreeing, she had long realized how attached they were to the assassin. "But we can't just force him to stay here all day long as a sculpture in a display." Jannine added. "We already took a lot of his liberty in our servitude." "I also know that." Saya commented. "My hope is that once we prove ourselves in the WoE things will be easier for everyone."

"It is a possibility." Jannine said. "Now grab Marine, Katia, Miura, Karen and Makie, I was thinking in throwing a party to celebrate the new levels, Alexis, Isis, Layla, Erika, Karen and Haruka reached level 99 everyone else broke the barrier of level 80 so I think that we deserve a party to celebrate it. I even called our boss he said that he will bring the booze and few more things if we decide to make the party, so we have to start arranging things." Saya laughed softly. "Fine, let's organize that party; it will most likely cheer up everyone anyway."

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Haruka had to laugh at the scene in the dinning hall, Makie were making some of the girls dance the choreography of Beat It while the music was playing on Makie's CD player and portable sound boxes. The worst is that Benji joined to the happiness of the girls, even the ever demure Tsugumi joined the group.

A strong beating sound comes of from the speakers confusing the girls, Benji and Makie look at each other with grins. "BUCK DICH!" They shouted moving their heads and flaying their long hair while punching the air with both hands. Erika shrugged and joined the duo.

"That was fun." Makie commented adjusting her hair. "So you have anything that you want to add on the mix?" "I thought that you were never going to ask." Benji replied with a grin pulling a hard plastic CD case from his pocket. "That thing plays MP3?" "Of course it does." Makie answered casually. "So what you have in there for us?"

"Lots of things moving from anime songs to Rammstein." Benji answered putting in a specific song. "But now some Ricky Martin after all this is a party." "Now that is more of my liking." Haruka commented moving to the 'dance floor'. "Come on girls I will show how to dance on this one."

Benji smiled seeing a large group of girls dancing at the music; he moves to one of the tables and fills a cup of wine. "You won't join them Ami?" Benji asked seeing Shina's sister looking at the group while sipping some juice. "I don't know how to dance." Shina answered.

"And you think that I do?" Benji replied. "Or anyone other than Haruka and Makie? But they are there having fun, why not join them?" "Why you aren't there?" Ami asked. "I am taking a break since I already danced and head-banged." Benji answered. "Now I am drinking something, you don't look tired to be sited like that. And don't come with not dancing with armor because Layla is doing a really good job over there."

Ami blushed seeing the silver haired knight moving sexily at the beat of the music. Benji downs his wine and pulls the girl to her feet. "You are going to dance even if I have to drag you there and make you dance." Benji said pulling the knight to the dance floor.

"Makie hold on her for me." Benji said with a grin. "Sure thing boss." Makie replied holding Ami by the shoulders as Benji changes the music. Makie laughed as the music starts. "You…" She said with a large smile. "Considering from where you came I am not surprised."

"Ami you are going to get something nice." Makie purred on the young knight's ear making her blush fiercely. Benji holds Ami again. "Now it I remember right…" Benji whispered adjusting the knight on his hands. "Let me give you a hand too." Makie said placing her hands on Ami's hips. "I will make her feel the movements and move along too. When she gets it I let go."

Benji nodded and they start to dance lambada to jealousy of many of the girls. Ami is blushing madly at the lewd movements. "I am not a dancer!" Ami shouted embarrassed. "I don't want to dance like this!" "You will join the other ones?" Benji asked teasingly. "Yes just let me go!" Ami answered.

Benji chuckled letting go of the embarrassed knight. Makie laughed at the redness of Ami's face. "Now let's show to them how it is danced." Makie commented taking Ami's place. "So how you know it?" Benji asked. "I studied dance." Makie answered. "And you?" "Childhood memories." Benji replied.

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Several hours had passed since the party began but since there wasn't worries about neighbors the party continues to move deep in the night fueled by the girls desire to relax and have fun, and a large variety of liquor available, Makie and Haruka taught the girls how to dance.

Benji slipped out from the dinning hall and is looking at Sakura Keikoku from one of the towers of the Silver Moon Castle, the ever blooming cherry blossoms falling as snow under the full moonlight. Benji sits on the window frame loosely holding on a wine bottle that he carried when leaving the party hall.

The party had lifted everyone's spirits even Benji's but after few hours Benji started to miss his own world as they partied and had fun with music from his world coming from Makie and his own personal supplies.

Once again Benji felt like a stranger in the world, the beautiful sight doing little to comfort his heart, but the little comfort of the sight and the sweet tasting Amatsu's cherry wine was welcomed.

Drinking more from the bottle Benji sighed looking at the breathtaking landscape; it was worth fighting for that sight. It was Benji's heart was telling him, in his mind he was trying to come with reasons to fully embrace that world as his, let go of his past and live as the multi-class assassin who leads the Seiryu's legions guild, a guild composed of gorgeous women.

Benji knew that while starting harshly his life in Rune-Midgard turned sweet and joyful after being saved by Mana and Shina, becoming stronger than he ever dreamt Benji saved twenty three women of endless rape and a twenty forth of being initiated on that horrible scheme. His acts were repaid with a small army of loyal followers and worldwide fame.

But there was times just like that one that he just misses being home, seeing his family, his friends, and even his annoying brother, in those times Benji felt alone even in the crowd of women of his guild, he felt the same in Payon after Mana and Shina left, and he fully became aware of how alone he is.

Benji takes another swing of the bottle and a familiar voice called. "Taisho?" Layla enters in the watch room, her face showing worry contrasting with the cute beret that she was always wearing since he gave to her. "Is anything wrong?"

Benji forces himself to smile, since Atsuko bought him that pussycat bell he couldn't hide his emotions anymore. "I am just watching the blossoms." Benji answered. Layla walks towards the window leaving the shadowed area of the room and entering on the moon lithe area.

"It is a pretty sight." Layla said looking at the window. "But you looked lonely like that." Layla's eyes drift from his face as she looks down until she sees the bottle loosely held in his left hand. "It is cherry wine." Benji said offering the bottle to the silver haired knight. "Want some?"

Layla nodded taking the bottle from him, taking a long pull of the bottle. 'This should give me some courage…I hop…!' Layla's thoughts are shattered when the strong alcohol that she gulped made her throat contract as it burned down on its way to her stomach.

"Easy there!" Benji said standing up and patting the knight on the back. "It is cherry wine and not cherry juice!" "It is too strong…" Layla said in a hoarse voice. "That can't be wine…"

"Distilled cherry wine." Benji said seriously. "It is stronger than the average wine, but it is good isn't it?" Now that the pain lessened Layla started to appreciate the flavor, it was rich and strong, also sweet and refreshing, and she could almost feel the scent of the cherry blossoms as if she was surrounded by them in a hot spring day.

Benji takes the bottle from the knight and exam it. "Damn girl you drank nearly one full glass of it." Benji commented when seeing the liquid against the moonlight. "You should be more careful." Layla nodded as Benji drinks a much tamer sip from the bottle. "This wine is hard to find."

Layla nodded but accepts the bottle as he passes to her again, taking a small sip from it Layla let the rich wine fill her mouth with its strong and sweet flavor, it was quite good if she drank a little at time, taking courage Layla asked. "Why you came here alone?"

Benji looks out of the window again. "There are times that I feel alone." Benji answered looking at the distant trees in the mountains and the valley. "You know why I based in Amatsu?"

Layla nodded denying but realizes that Benji is looking outside and not at her direction. "No." Layla replied. "Because of all the cities that I visited, of all the places of Rune this city is the only one that holds a shadow of a resemblance of the place that I came from." Benji answered. "Actually of the homeland of my ancestors, so it is the closest thing that I can get of home. I can't deny the beauty of this land, but there are times that I miss my own land."

"Why you don't visit?" Layla asked gripping on her sword's hilt. Benji smiled bitterly. "I can't." Benji answered. "My land is so far away that I have no idea of how I came to Rune." "Then why you came up here to stay alone?" Layla asked passionately, it hurt her to see the object of her affections in such pain. "Why you didn't stay with us?"

"Why you didn't came to me?" Layla asked in verge of tears. "Why stay here and suffer of loneliness alone? Why you didn't seek comfort and company? We are that repulsive for you? Our past make us so undesirable?" Benji was surprised in hearing Layla's passionate words. "We are here for you… everyone is gathered here just because you…"

Benji gently embraces the crying woman, it surprised him to realize how small and frail she really was as he easily wraps her shoulders with his arms, he gently pushes her head against his shoulder.

Layla was stunned with the gesture, she wasn't thinking clearly and being gently wrapped in his warmth surprised her, her arms trapped between their bodies, the gentle soothing voice as he holds her is too much to her; holding tightly on his back Layla cries and sobs loudly, letting out all the pent emotions gathered in the eleven months that she was trapped and abused.

End of the chapter ten:


	12. Decisions

Hi this is Benji Himura I am starting a new fanfic. I don't own Ragnarok online I also don't own the characters of that story or the plot; taking out the changes that I will make and the characters that I will create. I own Benji Himura and others characters that will show up in the story. It might be violence and sex in the story so if you are underage of seventeen are warned the content might be too improper to your age. Read by your own will and risk. In anyway enjoy the story.

Signed: Benji Himura

"Text" Talked sentences.

'Text' Thoughts.

-Text- Sounds effects.

(Text) Talked sentences in a foreign language

: Text: Messages show in an electronic screen or written.

**Text**: something being recalled, flashbacks, scenes being replayed.

_Text_: a detail found in a location, scene, person, recording and images that originally wasn't there.

Chapter eleven: Decisions

Haruka stares in shock at the scene in front of her eyes, she had watched everything; she had saw Benji leaving the dinning hall, how could she miss if she was always watching him?

Before she could follow him Layla also moved out of the dinning hall, Haruka left shortly after and arrived when Layla drank from his bottle and choked with the alcohol.

For Haruka and as well most of the guild members Layla was a strong woman, a model of independence, mental strength, endurance and leadership seconding only Benji, but now she was seeing the woman that she secretly looked over to crying as a child clinging in the man that she loves.

Benji continued to hold the crying knight, ignoring the broken glass and spilled wine in the floor from when Layla dropped the bottle to hold on him, gently caressing her hair and making soothing sounds he would be there until she felt better.

After several minutes Layla quieted down, her shoulders were still shaking lightly and tears were running down her face but she wasn't crying loudly and being wracked by painful sobs anymore. She felt peaceful and safe where she was, Benji's fingers caressing her hair softly, eased her even more. Looking up Layla acted on her feelings and kissed her lord and master.

Benji was surprised with her actions but still responded to the kiss. Layla wraps her arms around his neck pressing her body against his, then she finally realized how thin and light was his armor, she could feel the hard muscles of his chest under the layers of armor as her own armor presses against his body.

Benji breaks the kiss and looks at the silver haired knight. "Layla what are you doing?" Benji asked. "Giving myself to you." She whispered sultrily, rubbing her legs against his. "Please cleanse me with your seed master."

Benji felt the hairs on the back of his neck standing on their ends. He knew that the word for master that she was using was Japanese and was more than sure that Makie was the one who taught her that since once he slipped to her how he felt when a waitress of a restaurant in Amatsu called her like that when confusing him with her husband.

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Haruka sighs tiredly, she were unable to sleep after what she saw in the tower, but she couldn't make herself leave her hiding place to intervene or run away, her body made her watch the entire thing. 'Layla is just too brave…' Haruka said to herself while washing her face trying to hide the marks of her sleepless night, but no one would really mind since the party only ended at dawn.

Haruka is aware that Benji would remain in the guild for the day to check on the developments of the guild on his absence. Waiting by the door of the office Haruka checks if it is empty, smiling when finding that it is she sneaks in. Touching the chair she felt it still warm indicating that Benji were there.

Deciding on not losing to the knight Haruka hides under Benji's desk, there was plenty of space there and the front of the desk covered the area for the legs so it would hide her presence.

She doesn't have to wait long until she hears the door opening and then closing, she can hear Benji's and Erika's voice. "Sorry about the amount of work." Erika said as they move closer of the desk. "It is much less than from when I left." Benji commented sitting on his chair.

Haruka was torn between happy that until the moment her plan was working and scared to death of proceeding with it. "We had to share the workload by three to be able to finish it." Erika commented. "I never knew that managing the Silver Moon was so complex."

Benji chuckled at Erika's comment; there was plenty of work to do in the castle. "This is an experimental castle." Benji said. "Everything here will be used as base for three or four more castles. The emperor believes that the WoE will bring a good money influx to the country."

"We can't deny that WoE is an event that moves large sums of money." Erika commented standing in front of Benji's desk as she talks; she was acting as an employee reporting to her employer, which isn't very far from the truth. "Adventurers invest on anti-demihuman, anti-element, and elemental weapons, armors and shields. Potions and other healing items are also bought in large amounts."

"I know." Benji replied nodding, under the desk Haruka licks her lips nervously. "How well stocked are we?" "We hold enough items and weapons, as well food and drink to last over a one year siege." Erika answered. "Is that necessary?" Benji asked. "Isn't the WoE an event lasts one day and happens once every month?"

"There is a know siege that until this moment lasted a little under than nine months." Erika answered. "It is still counting, the guilds attacking the castle camped outside and are preventing the exit of the members of the White Eyes guild from their castle, until this day the White Eyes gained several points of trading economy, which by the way we also gained."

"I know that." Benji commented. "At least the part of us getting those points I do come here every day in secret to get the stuffs from the boxes. But damn nine months of siege. Why the government doesn't do something about it? I mean must be illegal to do that." "Well there isn't a rule about it." Erika replied. "And as the name says it is a siege, but the White Eyes counts with two allied guilds helping them inside the castle."

Benji sighed at the idea of his guild being locked inside the castle unable to leave for months. "In our case I doubt that we will get any help like that." Benji commented dryly. "We don't have any allies." Erika nodded agreeing. "I made a list of guilds that we might consider." Erika said leaning on Benji's desk and looking for a sheet of paper among the mass of paper there. "It is guilds from friends of the twenty three of us that you rescued and we believe that they might be trust worth guilds since our friends vouch for them."

Benji nodded and watches Erika searching; he can't help since he has no idea of where she stored it. Haruka wets her lips once again and opens Benji's fly, at his side Benji did a very good job in not showing a reaction when feeling Haruka's hands on his crotch. Looking down he sees Haruka pulling kneeled there with a smiled that mixed a sultry, nervous and determined smiles.

"Anything wrong?" Erika asked to Benji. "No." Benji replied not wanting to embarrass Haruka in front of Erika. "What about the training of the girls?" "We are following the schedule and practicing hard." Erika answered. "Everyone knows their place in the defenses as well the signals to move to deeper positions in the defense in case of need."

Benji nodded trying hard to keep a straight face while Erika speaks, he could vividly remember of Haruka offering him a blowjob a couple of days before he left the guild to train. 'I guess that it wasn't a hallucination.' Benji said to himself. 'Why today of all days?'

"However we still lack a desirable manpower for the task." Erika added. "We still have six vacancies for members in our guild's ranks; we need more hunters and knights, maybe crusaders too." "Finding members isn't exactly easy." Benji commented while Haruka worked on him, it was an exciting experience but he could live without that experience. "We want trust worth people who will be a permanent part of the guild, not some hotshots who only want to ride in our fame or think of this place like hunting grounds for women."

'Thought gets a little hard to contest the rumors of making myself a private harem after having sex with Layla and with Haruka sucking me off while I am talking to Erika.' Benji added on his mind. Haruka focus in what she is doing, the whole setting was exciting because Erika being just few meters away from them.

"We know." Erika said with a nod. "But we also got some friends in the past months while we of course hid our guild's identity, Jannine found a huntress who wasn't in a guild who she thinks that is trustworthy, Jannine partied with her several times also taking Katia with her."

"How many are in total?" Benji asked keeping a casual mask. "Our friends total twenty people, but we only got three that we consider new members material." Erika answered. "Taisho you are sweating a lot, you are okay?"

Benji chuckled before replying. "Must be the wine that I drank last night, I should have worn casual clothes instead of my assassin's clothes to do the deskwork." Erika smiled and moved to open a window, then she recalls what happened in the last time and don't do it, she doesn't want to send the papers flying.

Benji cleared his throat to hide some pleasure that was going to climb on his voice. "You have files on those three adventurers?" Benji asked seriously. "Yes." Erika said picking a file case from the desk, checking it before handing to Benji.

"Carol, hunter, base level 87, job 50, falcon hunter." Benji read the file and check the picture of pink haired hunter attached on it, Benji flips the page. "Leona, assassin, base level 93, job 50, dual dagger. I could really use another sin on this guild." Benji commented looking at the orange haired dark skinned assassin.

Erika giggled at Benji's comment; all the guild's thieves became rogues as if becoming an assassin was a taboo for them. "Kate, hunter, base level 90, job 50, agi/dex." Benji read the file of a light blue haired hunter. "We don't tend to get parties with many melee fighters." Erika commented with a chuckle.

Benji nodded understanding. "So you girls want me to interview them?" Benji asked, Haruka was getting a bit frustrated with Benji's control, she was working her hardest on him but he resisted as if he was made of stone.

"We kind of wanted it after one more month." Erika replied. "Well Jannine said that is getting good vibes from Carol, so she might ask for a interview a little sooner, but Katia and Marine want more time with Leona and Kate."

Benji nodded letting a hum climb from his throat as the checks the files once again, there wasn't much information there just the status and levels. Haruka was surprised when her ministrations bear fruits.

Benji clears his throat again. "Well it is better than not having any potential members." Benji commented placing the file on the tabletop. "Ask to Jannine about Carol." Erika nodded and leaves the room. After making sure that the priestess won't return Benji pushes himself and the chair back.

"What in name of heavens you thought that you were doing?!" Benji shouted angrily. Haruka swallowed the evidence of her actions looking at him with a smile. "Being bold." Haruka purred huskily. "And I offered you a blowjob once." "I thought that I was hearing things." Benji snapped angrily. "And why doing it today with Erika in here?!"

"I couldn't wait her to leave because I could back away on my decision." Haruka answered seriously. "I am not as brave as Layla is. All that I could do was watch you two in the tower; I couldn't barge and stop you or move away and not see…"

Benji sighed, he doesn't know what to think, when he thought that he could relax a little things get troublesome again, he haven't even worked out the incident with Atsuko, the incident with Layla was something driven by loneliness and several other emotions in both sides, and now Haruka hid under his desk and sucked him off to afterwards tell that she also has feelings for him.

Benji sinks back on his chair. 'Why I can't get some rest?' he asked to himself and any deity that might be hearing. Haruka leaves her hiding spot and looks at him. "You don't like me?" she asked scared.

"I don't dislike you Haruka." Benji answered seriously. "But you think that I had time to think in whom I love or who I might love?" "Since you rescued me my body and soul were at your disposal." Haruka said seriously. "But I wasn't brave enough to tell you that you could use me, if you don't love me it is all right, you can use my body to your pleasure or benefit, I am your servant to command. It is the same if you love me."

Benji pinches the bridge of his nose, he had read in the past about that kind of things in the ancient Japan. "Why you Japanese are like this?" Benji asked. "Why just because I saved your life you are so willing to become a possession to a man that until the day that I saved you was a total stranger?"

Haruka looked at his eyes before answered. "Because what I saw when you were saving me." Haruka pulls the main gauches that he used in that night, both hilts coated in old dried blood. "You were there risking your life for the sake of a total stranger as you said so, godsend as Saya often refers to you. I was nothing more than a common girl, less than common since my hair is rusty brown colored, I also isolated myself from the others, and I knew very well how backstabbing those students are. They always want something from you and whenever they can they will try making you fail your tests so they can get a better rank in the school or chance of joining a famous school."

Haruka pauses for a moment. "The girls would try making me look bad because of jealousy; the boys would try sleeping with me and brag to the others. I wanted nothing with them." Haruka continued. "They were only interested in appearances and benefits. Then when I got here, I was terrified because the location, then that kappa chased me and I ran in fear, I kept running ignoring the pain, tiredness and monsters, just moved by my will to survive, and then you came. A blur of movement, an angel of death sent down to save me."

Benji could hear the adoration on Haruka's voice, the passion and honesty on it as she continued. "I saw you fighting, the monsters tearing your flesh as your tore them with more efficiency. Your eyes burning with a cold fire are you killed them ignoring pain and suffering as doing so. Then when was done you told me that I was safe, that you wouldn't let monsters get me and took me to the safety, you haven't asked me anything in exchange of your rescue, in the next morning you even gave me ways to start a life here, you gave me money to multi-class. And after months living in the same place you never asked me anything in exchange of all that you gave and still give me. How can't I not want to be yours, even if is only as a concubine?"

Benji never knew that Haruka saw him like that, sure he expected that she liked of him they were friends, and she was always nice and considerate towards him. "I don't care if I am not your first as long there is a place for me among your selection, I won't say harem because this guild isn't a harem." Haruka added. "I want you to love me but if you don't and I am still yours I will still be happy. I owe you my life and as such I will always serve you as your servant and concubine if you wish to take me."

Benji wanted to say that it wasn't right for her to think like that, but again that could be the voice of the society imposed standards that he grew on speaking, he recalled how common it was in the ancient Japan for a samurai or a man in better position to keep more than one wife and more than a handful of concubines, it was the same for the people of the middle east and several others cultures, even nature herself worked mostly like that with male animals keeping harems of females.

He was confused he didn't knew what was right or wrong on that situation, sure the idea of keeping at least three confirmed lovers were pleasant and stroke his ego a lot, but did he loved any of the women that he had slept with since his arrival in Rune-Midgard, there was feelings for Mana and Shina he never denied that, with Atsuko the feelings came after their night together, and Layla, that was a complex one he cared about her and did find her attractive but above everything he was aware of her trauma and mostly saw her as a friend and second in command in the guild.

Sure banging the hell out of the silver haired knight in the tower was great, he wouldn't deny that. Then came Haruka with her confession love and servitude, but he couldn't help wonder why he was gaining so many choices and women throwing themselves at him.

"Haruka mind in leaving me alone for a while?" Benji asked to the wizard. "I really need to think on things." Haruka nodded and bowed lightly before leaving the room, if he was going to think then there was a chance of not having an automatic refusal. Now alone in his office Benji holds his head troubled with all the new issues to think about.

After few minutes Benji calls Layla with a private message making sure of add to her to not tell to anyone about where she is going. In less than five minutes Layla enters on Benji's office. "Lock the door." Benji instructed.

The knight complies wondering if she would get a repetition of the previous night action. Layla walks towards his desk and wait for instructions. "Is there another chair in here?" Benji asked looking around; he realized that he should add at least two chairs in front of his desk.

"We brought a pair of foldable ones." Layla commented moving to one of the shelves and pulling from behind it one foldable wood chair, and takes it to Benji's desk and unfolds it. "Okay, please sit down." Benji said with a pleased nod, Layla complied a little confused, normally when he wanted to speak with her she would be standing or both would be standing or sited depending of the location and situation, but never in his office had she spoken with him sited.

"There isn't a good way to say this." Benji started. "And if there is I am not seeing right now, so I will be straight with you on this." Layla nodded getting really nervous; he could be expelling her or turning her down, maybe both.

"Haruka saw us." Benji said seriously. Layla falls of the chair in surprise and relief, chuckling lightly at her nervousness Layla adjust the chair and sits on it again. "You mean that she saw you having sex with me in the watch room?" Layla asked embarrassed.

"Yes." Benji answered. "And that is not all, less than ten minutes ago Haruka was hiding under my desk and sucked me off while I was discussing with Erika about new members and other guild issues." Layla hears in shock but the thought of that was also very exciting, it could be her talking with Benji when Haruka performed such an act or she could be the one performing when he spoke to someone else.

Layla let out a sharp excited breath. "I know that I haven't said this last night but I am not claiming you exclusively to me." Layla said seriously but Benji could detect the excitement on her voice. "If you have time to be with me I don't care if you have someone else too."

'What is wrong with these women?!' Benji asked in shock. 'Why no one says I want you all for myself?! Is something in the food or water? Even Mana and Shina shared me!'

"I can't tell how happy I was last night." Layla added covering her left breast with her hands. "It was different from when I was prisoner of the Waster Years, and there was times in there where I was forced to orgasm, but with you was totally different, I wanted to orgasm for you, to tell you with my body how much I loved every second that you were driving your manhood inside me. That I was there, in that position because I wanted to be there, that it was consented and I wanted you as much you wanted me."

Flushed Layla looks at him. "It was and still is something that I wanted." Layla said honestly. "I don't know exactly when I started to wish to have you inside my body, but now I starve for it."

'Okay, if they are so willing to this only a fool would refuse.' Benji thought looking at Layla. 'If another girl other than the three, well five that I slept with come asking or wanting to have sex with me I will take it as a signal from heavens wanting me to get myself as many women as I can get and satisfy.'

"Come here." Benji said to Layla signaling to her to move around the desk. Layla nods and happily does so. Benji pulls her down by her cross and kisses the silver haired knight. It was about time for him stop worrying so much about things and start to enjoy his stay there, who cares if one day he might leave, he should enjoy his stay and make as many memories as he could on his time there, the pain would be dealt when it came. Benji breaks the kiss and Layla pants sexily with her face flushed in embarrassment waiting for his next command.

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Benji sighed inwardly at his actions, he had succumbed to the temptation of flesh, okay he loved that temptation but seeing Layla panting on his desk with her chain dress barely covering her thighs after they had sex few times was making him think if there was something happening to him, of course the sight of Layla panting and gasping as she recovers from a long section of sex is stirring Benji again, the stats and skills affected his recovery time too making him ready for more really fast.

Layla was also recovered, while satisfied she was ready for more if Benji wanted more, she just laid there basking on those feelings, she felt sexy and wonderful, much different than the disgust that she felt in the past. "We drifted." Benji said to the knight. "Not that I mind the sex but what I should do about this, with you there are three women ready to jump at my bed."

Layla stretched and sits on the desk; she was comfortable there so why leaving besides Benji might decide to take her again there. "While the government and the church supports monogamy." Lisa said crossing her long legs. "Polygamy was and still is a common practice here in Rune. As long one can support the additional wives and families no one really cares about it. There is also the religious aspect of it."

"What religious aspect?" Benji asked trying to ignore how Layla crossed her legs. "The WoE takes place because the Gods need strong warriors in the Ragnarok so the royal lineage started the WoE to train those warriors." Layla answered. "So for the Gods it is all right for strong adventurers to have more than one companion since from those couplings there are higher chances of coming a new generation of powerful adventurers. So it is rather common see one male with two wives or other numbers and combinations."

Benji nodded silently, making a mental note of looking at that information in a library later and verify it. "Of course that even being perfectly normal we get embarrassed in assuming those nightly acts in a public light." Layla added blushing. "That makes things easier for you?"

"A little." Benji replied nodding. "So any more surprises in that area that I should know about? Like any other guild member wanting to get inside my pants." Layla smiled a little. "Well Goshujin-sama all the members have feelings for you, some in different levels as adoration, seeing you almost like a deity or a king, others love you, but there are different types of love, there are the ones like me who love you but are still chained by what happened in our past or like Haruka who are too shy or scared of come forward."

Benji sighed at her answer. "So give me an idea of how many of you would be trying to get on my pants." Benji said. "Twenty." Layla replied. "Give or take around three or four girls. From the ones that you liberated ten of us have feelings like mine but for their own reasons they hide them, mostly the ones who were trapped for more than six months. From the ones that joined by invitation there are about six of them I am not sure since my interaction with them is limited thought my sister displayed some interest on you too, but I am unsure of her feelings."

"Your sister?" Benji asked confused, he recalled of Layla bringing in her sister to join the guild but he was so overloaded at that time that he couldn't recall who was who other than the girls of his original party.

Layla raises her hand at her breasts' height. "This tall, shoulder long light blue hair and amethyst colored eyes." Layla replied. "She is the only one who isn't on a high level she is a novice and she got sick shortly after she joined us."

"You mean Raki?" Benji asked recalling of a girl with that description. "Yes." Layla answered with a smile. "Just recently she started to show signs of recovery, since we brought that silver root medicine."

"Now I remember of her interview." Benji commented, it was shortly after the guild moved to Amatsu, Layla had asked for a small leave and returned one week later with the younger girl, by far younger than everyone else in the guild even Haruka and Sara who were the youngest ones.

Layla entered on his office holding the girl's shoulders in a comforting manner as she asked him about letting her join the guild. Benji asked to the girl is she wanted to join by her own will and not on her sister's, Raki had answered that she really wanted to join because her sister was there and she wanted to become an assassin like he was.

"She said that wanted to be an assassin." Benji recalled how she sounded scared, excited, nervous and anxious ate the same time. "I thought that she was saying that just to please me."

"Actually she really meant it." Layla commented chuckling. "While I haven't gave her the details of what happened to me to be away for so long I told that I was captured by bad men and you rescued me, she wanted to become knight as I am when she was younger, now she wants to be an assassin because you saved me. I guess that she had a really bad time when I was captured and felt that she was stronger she could have helped me."

"And since I was strong enough to rescue you she wants to follow my steps." Benji added. Layla nodded smiling. "I don't really mind, if I could I would try changing to an assassin too." Layla said with a smile. "And how you feel about your sister wanting to be with me as you are?" Benji asked seriously, Raki was young and he hoped that was just some admiration that would pass.

"Well if was anyone else that she was attracted to I would be angry." Layla answered. "But since I can understand why she might have fallen in love for you I am not angry. And since I have to share you with as you said at least two more women I can share with my sister too."

Benji remained in silence; thinking on the implications would give him a headache. "But as you said you aren't sure of it." Benji commented. "I hope that isn't anything serious, now let's focus in the ones who might actively pursue a relation." Layla nodded agreeing, it was better to leave that to the time show the results.

"Jannine and Saya seem to be interested." Layla said. "I wouldn't rule out Karen, Katia and Marine either, maybe even Melissa. Erika well Erika is a bit complex to fully read." "Why that?" Benji asked curious. "Before we were captured we used to sleep together, you know what kind of sleep." Layla answered embarrassed. "After we were rescued it took some months but we comforted each other with sex too, before was just holding the other to sleep."

Benji had to admit that the scene on his mind was exciting. "So she might be a lesbian." Benji commented. "Or bi." Layla nodded confirming. "So how she would react to you being with me?" Benji asked. "She already knows how I feel towards you and we weren't lovers we are very intimate friends." Layla answered. "I think that she would be happy for me."

"Let's hope so." Benji commented. "Still there are many girls on this guild wanting to be on my bed." "True." Layla agreed. "Alexis and Isis might be interested too, I am not really sure about Ami but she was uncomfortable with you traveling with Atsuko."

"I hope that isn't love or her sister might kill or castrate me, if not both." Benji commented. "Anyway knowing this I hope that most of the feelings aren't as intense as yours or Haruka's, it might create bad blood in the guild." Layla nodded in silence.

A knock in the door startles them, Layla jumps at her feet and nearly falls on the floor; she regains her balance and starts to regret her idea of not wearing panties as the gravity pulls down Benji's seed and her wetness.

Benji looks around and then pulls Layla close and ties a long scarf like piece of fabric on her lower body imitating the traditional Japanese loincloth. Layla nodded and thanked him; letting her chain skirt cover her legs once more Layla unlocks the door. "We came in a bad time?" Erika asked with Jannine right behind her. "No." Benji answered with a smile since all the traces of the sex with Layla were covered. "Layla and I were just discussing few things that I didn't want anyone else to hear or interrupt, but we finished a little while ago."

"We can enter then?" Jannine asked. "Sure." Benji answered. "Layla you can stay too, this is regarding the prospective huntress right?" "Right." Jannine replied. Layla nodded and closes the door behind the two priestesses; Layla was embarrassed with the idea of being leaking the combined fluids of their lovemaking even with the improvised loincloth to hold it in.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Layla sighed with relief after Jannine leaves the office, Benji had agreed in interview the huntress in the next Sunday. "Anything else that you wish me to do taisho?" Erika asked to Benji.

Benji weights if he should tell to Erika about Layla or not, Layla looks at him and silently begs him to not tell her, she want to tell herself later. "This will be all for now Erika." Benji answered with a smile. "You can rest now."

Erika nods and walks away closing the door after she leaves the room. Layla falls on her knees feeling suddenly weak. "I am sorry Goshujin-sama I soiled the cloth that you lend to me." She said apologetically. "It is okay Layla it was just a piece of my old outfit." Benji replied with a smile. "Come here."

Layla crawled to Benji when seeing that she can't walk right now. Benji leans her head against his leg and gently caresses her hair. Layla purred contently pulling her legs under her body and leaning against his legs. They remain like that in silence as Benji strokes her silky hair, thinking deeply on what he would do about the women of his life, they deserved an answer, an honest answer.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Much later on that day Benji saw a very content Layla leaving his office, after stroking her hair for few hours until the knight fell in sleep against him Benji worked on the papers on his desk, when she woke she aided him and were rewarded with few kisses and caresses.

Benji looks at his now empty desk, running his hand on the surface he could feel the minute indentation from Layla's armor running on it. Benji stands up and walks to a second door that only he had the key for, inside that room Benji finds a total of forty eight treasure boxes there, emptying the contents Benji leaves the room.

In his office he finds Tsugumi and Ruri next to his desk. "Your office is with a weird smell." Ruri commented with a smile. "Nice but weird." Benji hid his embarrassment well. "Nice to see that you two got up after last night." Benji commented. "I know better than drinking much." Tsugumi replied. "Anyway what is in that room?"

"It is the treasure room." Benji answered. "In there everyday appears treasure boxes with items for the guild. I am going to catalog them and distribute them around based on loyalty, need and best person to use the item."

Ruri nodded and walks to Benji happily hugging him. Benji noticed how the pet blushes. "You also smell funny but are so good." Ruri purred rubbing her cheek against his chest. Benji pats her head and walks to his desk. "How you two are passing the time?" Benji asked changing the subject.

"I am using the guild's library." Tsugumi answers. "I am also learning how to cook and I am tending the moon drop flowers of the garden." Benji notices how the Sohee just lightly leaned forward, asking without words for him to pat her head too; she was too prideful to directly ask for affection.

Benji pats the pat head, gently stroking her hair, Tsugumi pushes her head against his hand as she enjoys the caress, and Ruri was happily nested against his chest. Benji smiled and pampered his pets, it had been months since he gave them some attention and almost just after he 'captured' them he left them in the guild.

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Benji, Layla, Saya, Ami, Yoriko one of the released acolytes that changed to a monk, Marina a swordswoman who became a crusader, Melissa and Ruri are pressing their backs against a solid wood door.

A massive impact comes from the other side making the doors part open a little before the combined strength of the group push it back close. In their positions Makie and Karen lead the huntresses in notching their arrows.

They weren't ready for that, it was a horrible truth but they weren't ready for such violence and terror. Benji had passed by horrifying experiences, walking without water or food in a desert forced to eat monsters, fighting a mob of kappas, karakasas, Miyabe ningyos, poison toads and poporings, fighting a mob of demon and undead monsters by himself, then facing the Lord of Dead at the beginning by himself, seeing his brother sleeping only with briefs. No nothing was more horrible that his brother sleeping only in briefs, even that unspeakable horror behind that door.

A black tentacle breaks a small part of the door and Saya howled in pain as it burns her shoulder. "We are ready!" Erika shouted leading the battle priestesses and merchant class. "Us too!" Makie shouted.

"On three!" Benji shouted looking first at Layla and then to Saya. "One! Two! Three!" The group leaps from the doors and it explode open exposing a mass of black ichor and tentacles.

"Master!" Layla shouted when a tentacle wraps around her left ankle making her fall and pulling her to the mass. Benji grabs Layla's arms and pulls her strongly, letting go of her with one hand Benji nails three poison knives on the floor and uses it as leverage while holding on her again.

The archers fire at the creature showering it with arrows. "Fire at will!" Benji shouted while wrapping his arms around Layla's chest and pulling her hard trying to counter the amazing force of the monster. Layla screams in pain as the tentacle burns its way on her greaves, because her position she is unable to use her arms to cut the tentacle.

Erika with a war cry dives and smashes her sword mace on the tentacle cutting it, the other priestesses and merchants attack followed by the other fighting classes. "Detoxify!" Benji called cleansing the poison from Layla. "Sanctuary!" Isis shouted casting the spell around them. Benji and Erika leave Layla to heal and charge at the creature.

After a long and exhaustive battle the creature dies, everyone collapses in the floor gasping for breath, even Teresa the Kafra lady of the guild; she was forced to join the battle as her own survival was endangered. Benji sees Alexis collapsed inside the kitchen.

Benji bolts at her direction, he doesn't feel her breath, but he can feel a very weak pulse stopping under his fingers. Tearing her breastplate and chain dress Benji starts the CPR on the knight. "You are not going to die Alexis, I have told you to die!" Benji hissed before covering her lips with his and blowing air straight to her lungs.

"Sanctuary!" Isis shouted casting the spell around her friend. Benji continues his attempt of resurrecting the girl. Alexis coughs and starts to spew copious amount s of ichor on the floor, Benji turns her to the side so she can throw it all out. He falls sited and takes some very deep breaths. "ERIKA YOU ARE NEVER GOING TO COOK AGAIN!!!" Benji shouted at the priestess. "NEVER AGAIN!!!"

End of the chapter eleven:

Author explanation corner:

**Newsflash!**

This chapter was heavily edited because adult content. That is right folks from here on Outcast lost in Rune-Midgard gets ecchi from this chapter forward. The watch tower scene as well the office scene where edited to fit on the rating and I will post the story in the mediaminer sometime soon, in there the chapters will be kept whole, with all the scenes that were removed. So if you want the hentai you can go there and check.

Now back to our regular explanation.

Goshujin-sama: It means husband in Japanese, also translated in certain media (read hentai games) as master.

Treasure room and treasures: I never led a real RO guild or was part of a guild that conquered a castle so I have no idea of how many treasures you can get, how often and how much is the maximum amount that you can get.


	13. Arrivals

Hi this is Benji Himura I am starting a new fanfic. I don't own Ragnarok online I also don't own the characters of that story or the plot; taking out the changes that I will make and the characters that I will create. I own Benji Himura and others characters that will show up in the story. It might be violence and sex in the story so if you are underage of seventeen are warned the content might be too improper to your age. Read by your own will and risk. In anyway enjoy the story.

Signed: Benji Himura

"Text" Talked sentences.

'Text' Thoughts.

-Text- Sounds effects.

(Text) Talked sentences in a foreign language

: Text: Messages show in an electronic screen or written.

**Text**: something being recalled, flashbacks, scenes being replayed.

_Text_: a detail found in a location, scene, person, recording and images that originally wasn't there.

Chapter twelve: Arrivals

Two days had passed since Erika's monster destroyed the kitchen and seriously wounded every one in the guild, Alexis was still bedridden recovering from her near death experience. Benji was starting to consider the military use of Erika's food, but the risks were just too big to be practical.

Layla was in silence still nursing her ankle, the damage were extensive and the creature's poison was strong, it would take few more days for her to walk normally again and the scar vanish. She was happy that no one noticed her scream of master when calling Benji; the situation was so dire that it was dismissed.

"Goshujin-sama since that day you are very silent is there anything bothering you?" Layla asked worriedly, while happy that Benji was in the castle for more than one week in the last two days he barely spoke more than to issue some orders or thank for something.

"That incident damage us badly." Benji said. "Sure we got a huge amount of experience and everyone gained an average of ten percent of experience from it, not to mention the divine loot, but it destroyed several of our weapons and armors."

"All that was lost can be reposed." Layla said from her chair, an addition that Benji placed on his office. "We lost some elemental weapons and damaged some carded armor but other than that nothing else was lost, Alexis is recovering."

"Still I am not confident, if we suffered this much to fight that creature I don't want to think how it will be in a siege." Benji replied. "WoE is hard but isn't as hard as that monster." Layla said in a gentle tone moving to him and gently embracing him. "That monster had total magical and elemental immunity and could only be killed by neutral damage. Adventurers aren't like that, you know it."

Benji remained in silence as Layla comforted him; it was the realization that his subordinates could die that was making Benji so silent, he feared for their safety since that creature overcame the safety. So he let Layla comfort him, it felt good to be the one relying on someone else than being the one relying the others, and even if was just for a while, just as they are alone in that room until they are interrupted he wants to forget that he has to be reliable to everyone else, just letting go of his responsibilities for a while.

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Benji sighed in pleasure in the only place that he could find solitude inside the Silver Moon castle. Inside the man's bath Benji made sure that the barricade was solid and walked around the entire area searching for hidden girls, he wanted privacy to at least bath alone. Finding a naked Haruka wrapped in a towel and hiding in the closet with the shower pails and stools Benji walks to the dividing fence of the man's and woman's side and throws the naked wizard to the other side.

Benji smiled hearing her screams and the slash that drowns her scream as she lands inside the woman's hot spring. Dusting his gloved hands Benji walks to the changing room and takes out his clothes, he didn't want any of the girls seeing the extension of his scars and that was why whenever he was with Layla he kept his clothes on. In Haruka's case he was playing hard to get and fending off her advances as punishment for what she did when he was speaking to Erika.

Benji's body from the neck bellow was covered with countless patches of darkened and rough skin, wherever he took a serious wound was marked by those scars, even the ones gained saving Haruka only lessened a little, it was almost like his skin had gained the stripes of a tiger's hide.

Benji ignores his image on the mirror as he grabs a towel and moves to the hot spring, those scars were the price that he paid as a melee fighter, even having an extremely high dodge rate Benji still took hits as any other assassin. Sinking neck deep on the warm water Benji sighs and relaxes; if he could he would hide those scars from the girls as long as he could. But with his new relation with Layla that might prove to be hard.

Just Atsuko saw the state of Benji's body; she also contributed with some of the scars in their time fighting together. Benji hoped that the scars would vanish giving time, at least other than the rough darkened skin he had no other sequels of the wounds.

In six weeks the first battle in of the WoE would take place, if he could keep those as a secret until then the morale won't be affected as badly as it would if were exposed earlier.

………In Amatsu city……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Atsuko scratches her blonde hair, she was lost in the city were she knew nothing about. It took her some time but she had acquired the permission to take a small leave from her guild and aid Benji's in the WoE.

………**Earlier in that week………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………**

"You are sure of this Atsuko?" Helen asked to her protégé. "Why you want to be there so badly?" Atsuko smiled. "Because I have lots and lots of fun with Benji." Atsuko answered sincerely. "I really like being with him, fighting with him, laughing with him. I want to be there in his first WoE battle. I want to aid him to protect his home."

Helen smiled at the shine in Atsuko's violet colored eyes, it was the same shine that she had when she spoke about becoming a priestess because she looked up to her. "I don't see why you are refusing her Helen." Aiko an assassin cross said looking at the high priestess. "Atsuko is old enough to want to see other guilds, besides it is just a temporary leave of three months, she is with us since she became a monk three years ago."

Helen sighed at her friend's words, turning to the raven haired assassin cross Helen said. "I just want to know if she really thought well about this." Helen points to Atsuko. "She traveled with him for months, I can understand that she had fun and enjoyed partying with someone that could look over himself and her, but wanting to fight his battles is a bit too much."

"I want to aid him on his battle and not fight on his place." Atsuko said seriously, she place her right hand over her left breast. "And I feel that he is the best that I can find, I saw him helping out a total stranger without asking for nothing back, he gave her items as well advices, the worse is that I seem to be the cause that the girl seems to hate Benji now."

Helen sighed and Aiko smiled. "She got jealous of you didn't she?" Aiko asked playfully. Atsuko nodded seriously. "Well considering your size and how friendly you can get around someone that you like I am not surprised." Aiko commented. "So what class was she?"

"When Benji met her she was a thief, once and a while he met her, when he went mobbing by himself when I was helping in the WoE here he met her in some dungeons and aided her, so she not only got a crush on him but became an assassin because he was one." Atsuko answered. "I think that he was even considering inviting her to join his guild since they are still recruiting."

"Young love is something beautiful but very frail." Aiko commented. "But you got him first, and if he is that kind of a nice guy I don't see why not let Atsuko hang out with him."

"He is that Benji Himura." Helen said seriously. "The Blue Dragon also known as the Knight Killer." Aiko gasped surprised. "You met the Knight Killer?!" She asked in shock to Atsuko. "Better than that you bedded him?!"

Atsuko nodded blushing fiercely. Aiko let out an impressed whistle. "You set your aim high." She commented teasingly. "He is first rate material, even not being a sinx he can pack loads of damage on the heavy armored butt of Dante. I can't wait to see his powers when he transcend. But girl the blue dragon! Damn!"

Atsuko only gets more embarrassed. "See why I am reluctant?" Helen asked to the sinx. "No." Aiko replied flatly. "Look if he did all that the news said that he did even before dueling with Dante, which I am mad for not seeing it. He is first rate material and his guild is too, we should have them as allies and not enemies."

"Actually considering his past we might end enemies." Atsuko commented. "Even me." "Why that?" Both Aiko and Helen asked. "The extension of our guild the Stone King guild is aiding their allies the Gurishinu guild on the siege to the White Eyes."

"And why that would make us his enemies?" Aiko asked confused. "Benji once confided to me that just before he became an adventurer and on his early days he met an assassin named Mana and a crusader named Shina, and I can only think in two people with that name who would give items worth several millions to someone in a flick of a hat." Atsuko replied seriously.

"Dante does that." Helen commented. "Yeah." Aiko agreed. "I mean there are adventurers who kill so much and get so much loot who have zenys to throw out the window. Just because he met two girls with those names doesn't mean that he met the shinigami Mana and divine buster Shina of the White Eyes."

"His Mana had emerald hilted daggers and ruby katars with a sapphire hair band tying her pony tail." Atsuko said flatly, denial was such an ugly thing. "Shina used a sapphire clip to tie her hair and had rubies and emeralds on her choker cross. It is them, they were his godmothers that is why he multi-classed, they paid for his development."

"Fuck." Aiko cursed at the idea of having the knight killer as enemy, she was a very high level sinx but she was smart enough to avoid problems and making powerful enemies, with given time the shinigami and the divine buster could make claims of their knight killer, and that alliance could result in a huge shift in the balance of powers.

"Another reason that I want to go to Benji is that if he knows and trusts me he won't make rushed judgments when he learns the truth." Atsuko said. "But it would be wise telling to the Stone King stop aiding the Gurishinu."

"You know how Dante and the other males feel about giving support to others." Helen said in a dry tone. "Especially now that the White Eyes have stained the pride of all the seventy guilds involved on the siege for holding so long only with three guilds inside the castle. The invaders can't even see the entrance before being killed and sent to their save points."

"We have to give those girls what they deserve, they are strong and resourceful." Aiko commented with a smile. "Ten months without any outside help and against all the odds holding their home from the enemy we have to give credit to where it should be given."

"So what we are holding the five castles of Prontera for ten years." Helen said seriously. "We are but we are a guild with twelve years of existence and a total of three hundred and fifty members divided in our guild extensions, we also count with several official and unofficial allies to aid us." Aiko replied. "The White Eyes count only with two allies who are aiding them."

Helen sighed. "We are drifting here." She said. "Listen Atsuko you have my blessing to be with him, however remember that he is a killer, his whole reputation is based in the face that he killed around seventy men and totally destroying the Wasted Years, you saw what his guild did to the Golden Years and what he did to Dante's armor, I don't want to see you meeting that kind of force." Helen embraces the younger monk gently. "I am worried that he might hurt you."

Atsuko closes her eyes and responds to the embrace. "Benji wouldn't hurt me." Atsuko replied. "He is a kind man, he did all those things with the purposed of protecting, saving or avenging someone."

………**Present time………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………**

Atsuko had to admit that Amatsu was beautiful but being lost wasn't all that nice. Atsuko spun on ball of her feet when hearing girls shouting, she striked mostly by reflex than will.

But her naked fist haven't connected with anything, instead she felt the wind moving unnaturally between her legs, she saw a blackish blur sliding between then, with a jump she turns around and sees a familiar face, the face that she wanted to see.

Benji stared surprised at Atsuko as she did the same to him. "Benji get back here!" Aline one of the guild's rogues shouted as she leads the group of girls from the guild who wanted to be tanked. Atsuko grabs Benji's hand and leaps inside a sudden cast warp portal.

In Prontera the two are standing in the middle of the crowd it wasn't unusual for adventurers appear in the thin air like that so no one took notice of that fact. "What was that?" Atsuko asked still holding on Benji's hand. "My guild members wanting me to tank them." Benji answered. "They believe that since I am a level 99 now I have to worry about leveling them."

Atsuko chuckled at his answer. "But what you were doing in Amatsu?" Benji asked. "You said that it was your home and since I finished what I had to do so I decided to look for you, I was trying to find your castle but I couldn't find it." Atsuko answered. "I planned to call you when I was outside and surprise you."

"You should have called and I would have picked you and maybe arranged a party, we use them a lot to relieve stress and raise the morale." Benji replied. "So what you went to do that took so long?"

"I asked for a vacation." Atsuko explained. "Technically I left the guild, but I plan to return to it later, I did this to join yours if you are still recruiting, but is just for the duration of your first WoE and maybe a little longer."

"Well you see we are really short of vacancies." Benji said thoughtfully, actually there were still three empty spots in the guild. "I am sure that I can convince you that I am the best to fill one of those remaining spots." Atsuko purred sultrily while pressing her body against his and her large breasts against his chest, she suddenly wraps her arms around his neck, actually jumps when doing it unbalancing them and making both of them fall, she lands on top of Benji kissing him.

No one really pays attention to the two as hearts fly from the monk as she convinces Benji as much as she can in public. Ten minutes later they are in a restaurant in Prontera having some lunch. "So it is really okay for me be a temporary member?" Atsuko asked between bites of her steak. "Sure, we need more fighters." Benji answered. "But we also lack hunters, but we are working on that, we are still check on prospective members."

"You are very selective." Atsuko commented. "Why you are so careful?" Benji cuts a piece of his steak. "My guild was originally composed of women who were raped by the Wasted Years, originally the guild was just to be a place for them call home and people for them call family, people who understood their pain it was a place for them to heal." Benji answered seriously. "Later we recruited friends and family from those twenty three girls that I rescued, it was to aid them in the healing process, and I only haven't recruited males because most of them are only interested in fame and sex."

Atsuko nodded understanding, men like that would end hurting even more the girls that were raped. "Now that I realized the extension of the grudge that we carry I am more selective to prevent information leak." Benji continued. "I don't want anyone outside my guild to know the castle's layout, our strength, defenses, weak points and anything that they could use against us."

"As enemies you mean?" Atsuko asked unsure of what he meant. "Allies of the Wasted and Golden Years." Benji answered. "Clients of the Wasted Years who would wish to avenge them, males that were pestering me and my subordinates to join the guild because our fame and female population, well also family of the adventurers of the Wasted Years that I killed."

Atsuko nodded in silence, it was a rather broad list of unknown people that could hold grudges against him and his guild, even enemies of his members should be added, no wonder he was so selecting and trusted only on his circle of guild members and friends, unless someone he trusts vouch for them Benji shut them out, it was wise but at the same time damaging since makes hard for him to get new members.

"So changing the subject." Atsuko said sipping some grape juice. "Have you thought about us?" It was blunt and direct; there wasn't a way to the question being misinterpreted, Benji kept a straight face even after hearing it. "Things have become a little more complex since you left." Benji answered. "But here is the situation."

Atsuko heard in silence, it was at the same time surprising but expected, after all she knew that she wasn't the only one who would detect his qualities and fall for him, she felt a little jealous but the experience made him more open, so she could live with sharing him. Benji was surprised with Atsuko accepting it so well, he thought that maybe what Layla said was true and polygamy was indeed common.

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Atsuko remains sited in the bed of the room that she was given on the Silver Moon castle, she couldn't deny that was awfully comfortable and had a great view cherry trees of the mountainside, her welcoming was rather uneventful. While she was able to feel some tension coming from Haruka and Layla the arrival was peaceful and the dinner was cheerful.

The design of the castle was also very surprising, while the outside were clearly of a WoE castle it was possible to see traces of Amatsu's architecture on it, especially the roof, in the inside the design changed drastically it was fully Amatsu styled, at least the halls and most of the large rooms.

The bedrooms were also in Amatsu's style, but furnished with normal Rune furniture and beds of the best quality, the dinning hall also covered in tatame mats but held tables and chairs instead of eating sited on the floor as happens in Amatsu.

The bathroom was definitely Amatsu's styled and she fell in love for it as Benji once said that she would, soaking in the water was great and the view of the bath was gorgeous. Sure took some getting used to and instructions from Erika who were helpful to explain how it works.

The castle was well ventilated and welcoming, she wasn't sure that the decoration of the castle came with the castle or it the guild members brought in their personal tastes and souvenirs to live up the large castle.

Atsuko stretches on her sleeping clothes, actually just a white cotton undershirt and a pair of loose gray slacks, it wasn't like she wasn't used in sleeping in different beds or even in the ground if needed, thing that she did often, the bed was comfortable and invitingly she was certain that sleeping there would be wonderful, but she was there to be with Benji.

He had asked her to not make advances while the others were around, that when possible he would let her know about it or visit her. So she was anxious waiting for him to appear, but she knew that waiting for too long wouldn't be good either.

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Benji was sleeping in his bed, the day was tiresome after he escaped from the girls, meeting Atsuko and moving to Prontera was followed to a visit to an inn initiated by the blonde.

Tsugumi was sleeping in her own bed, much smaller than Benji's but by far bigger than Ruri's. The two pets settled in having their own beds because Tsugumi's habit of moving on her sleep.

The castle is in total silence, the rhythm steps of the guardians barely echoing on the halls, there wasn't a curfew at the guild but most of the guild members moved to their room a couple hours after the dinner that normally takes place around 9PM.

Benji's eyes shot open and he bolts out of the bed grabbing his weapons' belt and leaving the bedroom. He wasn't the only one just the first as Haruka bursts out of her room holding her Soul Staff wearing only her long nightshirt. Makie left her room wearing only a pair of panties and a white tank top holding her Queen's whip.

"Benji-taisho what is this?!" Haruka asked chasing Benji, a hard task because his high agi. "Same as yours!" Benji answered without making sense he was too busy casting increase agility and leaping out of a window. "What he meant?" Makie asked. "I guess that the same thing as when I arrived." Haruka answered jumping out of the window and sitting on her staff. "Witch's flight!"

"What the…?!" Makie stared in shock as Haruka instead of falling flies a couple meters from the ground as if her staff was possessed by an invisible motorcycle. "I should stop trying to make sense of things here." Makie muttered leaping out of the window and using her whip to lessen her fall. However the noise and shouts woke the members on that hall and that included Layla and Atsuko.

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Benji knew what was happening, it was his second time feeling that horrible sensation, a feeling of dread, something hard to explain or describe, and it impelled him to go to that place fast. Fearing that it would occur again Benji started to leave part of his equipment next to his bed on arm's reach to get it and run.

Benji had already equipped his armored gloves and pauldron, the belt is around his waist with two daggers, one his anti mob double doppel Baphomet gladius and the other was a doppel and Drake Damascus, it was the best to combo for high speed mass killing. Benji hoped not to find enemies able to break weapons or he might have a hard time.

Benji doesn't really know why he could feel the new arrival but a secret theory of his was confirmed since both Haruka and Makie felt it, which was good since mobbing alone an unknown amount of monsters of an unknown level doesn't appease him. But Benji wondered why they could feel the newcomer, and why no one felt his arrival, but he was in the middle of the desert it was understandable that he wasn't detected, however he finds odd that two new arrivals happen in 'his' city when he was on it, within detection range.

He was running in the direction the west Amatsu fields, normally avoided by travelers and off limits for adventurers because the danger of that area. Other than a strong and sickly sweet scent of countless flowers of different species Benji couldn't see anything wrong, but the sensation was growing stronger.

Benji could feel the now very familiar rush, the adrenaline flowing on his system as he readies himself to battle, the seductively addictive embrace of the battle lust, it was different from when fighting with others, he knew that in those times the chances of dying weren't as high as when facing alone a more powerful or numerous enemy, Benji had to fight hard to not succumb and start seeking those feelings willingly.

A shrill scream cuts the air and it is enough reminder for Benji of why he is going to battle, it helped to lessen the grasp of the lust on him that would allow him to fight with a clearer mind.

Benji could hear the sound of many feet trampling the ground, leaving the cover of the sakura forest and reaching a flower covered field Benji can see a little girl with short blonde hair running in despair, she is using a cream colored sundress and sandals. Less than ten meters away from her there are a group of what appears to be women clad in kimonos brandishing sickles, they looked like Japanese commoners of the feudal Japan, similar but different from the Miyabi ningyos.

Benji leaps over the girl, his speed plus the chasing mob makes Benji land neatly in front of the group, actually before Benji even touched the ground one of the women was running without a head before falling dead in the ground, the head flying in the air before landing several meters away from the spot where it was severed.

End of the chapter twelve:

Author explanation corner:

Witch's flight: Original flight spell created by Haruka, with careful study of Ruri's moon and months of trial and error the result is a low height high speed flight technique.

Mana and Shina: Just some more information on them, let's admit that anyone who can just give out items worth at least one million has to be not only rich but somehow famous. The nicknames was something that I made up at time that I thought that would suit the two.

Okay Benji's investigative skills aren't all the best in Rune-Midgard but hey he is in another world, he has not much of an idea of where to go to get reliable information. A female only guild that famous should be easily to locate, but then there could be way more than just one guild like that.


	14. New responsibilities

Hi this is Benji Himura I am starting a new fanfic. I don't own Ragnarok online I also don't own the characters of that story or the plot; taking out the changes that I will make and the characters that I will create. I own Benji Himura and others characters that will show up in the story. It might be violence and sex in the story so if you are underage of seventeen are warned the content might be too improper to your age. Read by your own will and risk. In anyway enjoy the story.

Signed: Benji Himura

"Text" Talked sentences.

'Text' Thoughts.

-Text- Sounds effects.

(Text) Talked sentences in a foreign language

: Text: Messages show in an electronic screen or written.

**Text**: something being recalled, flashbacks, scenes being replayed.

_Text_: a detail found in a location, scene, person, recording and images that originally wasn't there.

Chapter thirteen: New responsibilities

Benji could hear the sound of many feet trampling the ground, leaving the cover of the sakura forest and reaching a flower covered field Benji can see a little girl with short blonde hair running in despair, she is using a cream colored sundress and sandals. Less than ten meters away from her there are a group of what appears to be women clad in kimonos brandishing sickles, they looked like Japanese commoners of the feudal Japan, similar but different from the Miyabi ningyos.

Benji leaps over the girl, his speed plus the chasing mob makes Benji land neatly in front of the group, actually before Benji even touched the ground one of the women was running without a head before falling dead in the ground, the head flying in the air before landing several meters away from the spot where it was severed.

The mob doesn't react quickly enough and is decimate by Benji in the blink of an eye. Benji felt that the loot was send directly to his inventory. 'How pleasing.' Benji idly thought as he looked at the distance and saw a group of men wearing feudal Japanese common folk clothes still dozens of meters away from him.

Benji looks to the direction were the girl was running and sees that she was looking at him, her eyes showed a mixture of fright, relief, suspicion, anxiety and hope. "I am not going to hurt you." Benji said sheathing his knife and standing a hand to her.

Scared the girl backs away two steps as Benji advanced two steps. Benji could tell that she didn't understand his words. (I am not an enemy.) Benji said in Japanese, it was Amatsu's main language even thought English was the official language of Rune-Midgard and was fluently spoken in Amatsu city, it took him months to learn and he still held a good accent on it.

The girl still looks scared and suspicious; Benji spins on his heels and throws a venom dagger on a closer man armed with a cleaver. (RUN!) Benji shouted, in his mostly instinctive mode Benji shouted at his mother tongue, the one that he was more familiar with.

Benji isn't sure if it was the shout or the language but the girl complied and ran, but she ran to the wrong direction that Benji hoped, she ran straight to him and hug on his right leg with an impressive amount of strength for such slim arms.

Benji cursed inwardly while attacking with a nearly mad fury at the bigger mob, his daggers do the job as well as they should and in few moments the monsters are dead again. Benji looks at the distance and sees a third wave, this time not commoners but horsemen and Benji knew that they would reach him quickly.

He looks down at the girl and she looks at him with her big jade colored eyes, scared, begging to be protected and trusting fully on him. Benji guesses that he has two minutes before the horsemen arrive on his position; he gently pulls the girl from his leg and puts her on his back. "Hold on my neck." Benji said in Portuguese. "Okay." She whispered scared but obeying.

Benji takes out his belt and wraps around the girls back one end passing between her legs and the over her left shoulder Benji then buckles the belt across his chest keeping the pressure strong but not too tight. "Try not choking me." Benji instructed. "And try not scream; I need to hear them coming."

"Okay." The girl answered hugging his neck strongly but not choking. "What is your name?" Benji asked. "Maria." She answered. "Well then Maria you might want to close your eyes." Benji said in a gentle tone while unsheathing his knives. "It might not be suitable for your age."

Benji bites the hilt of his gladius and pulls a venom knife from his belt, he throws it on the horseman leading the charge, his aim is flawless and the knife buries itself deep in the skull of the horse.

The horse falls and in a chain reaction all the horsemen behind are caught on the effect as their horses trip on the dead one, legs are broken and chaos reign among them, all because a well placed knife. Benji smiled as he dashes at the horsemen while they are still a tangled mass with their horses.

Benji barely finished killing everything for the third time when a fourth wave arrives, more horsemen, this time Benji wasn't fully ready for them, yet he blocked a vicious impalation from the leading samurai horsemen. Benji's daggers crack when blocking the kamayari of the samurai.

Benji could feel his feet making trenches on the ground as the impact pushed him back but Benji had a good footing. However the samurai wasn't ready for the resistance that he met and fell from his horse. Benji sheathes his daggers since they are usable but the spear would do a much better job against the horsemen.

Benji kills the fallen horseman and spins the spear cutting the legs of two horses while ducking avoiding losing his head from a slash from another samurai. Benji moves his body packing as much energy on the spear as he can before bringing it down on the samurai. "BASH!" Benji shouted triggering the attack.

Man and horse fall dead split in half by the massive attack. Benji spins his body and spear bringing it down against another horseman. "Quagmire!" A familiar voice shouted casting a swamp between Benji and the incoming horsemen. Benji smiled and resumed killing the ones close of him. "Storm gust!" Haruka shouted starting a new cast.

The massive storm hits the horsemen trapped on the swamp, Haruka haven't even finished that spell before casting another. "Lord of Vermilion!" Benji smiled impressed as the spell combo kills the horsemen. "See I told you that multi-classing was good for you." Benji commented. "All the points that you didn't used of all the other jobs were used when you became a wizard."

"It isn't over yet." Haruka replied pointing at a fifth wave of monsters. Benji was impressed it was by far more monsters than when Haruka appeared, but then Haruka appeared in a place with less monsters. "This isn't all that common." Benji commented readying the spear for a new attack.

"And how you would know it?" Haruka asked casting ice wall between Benji and the incoming wave, the wall would hold enough for them to run away, at least she hoped. "How many times you face this kind of thing before?" "Just once with you." Benji answered moving away from there. "Not enough to say that this kind of thing is usual." Haruka replied.

"You people run too fast!" Makie shouts leaving the trail of the woods; she is covered with sweat from running all the way there. "Back! Back! Back! Back! Back! Back!" Haruka shouted to the dancer as her ice wall is shattered by the horsemen. "Warp us or something!" Makie shouted back.

"It doesn't work." Benji said unbuckling the belt and putting Maria on the ground. (Maria you stay with that lady over there.) Benji said to the girl while pointing to the raven haired dancer. (Don't run to me or run away unless I tell you okay?) (Okay.) She replied moving to Makie.

"Explanations will be given later." Benji said to them. "You two stay in the back, I will be the front line and you two cast everything that you can on them, we kill them or kill them." "Sounds good for me." Haruka commented readying her staff once more. "Don't get killed."

Benji nodded getting some distance between him and the girls. Haruka once again casts Quagmire in front of the horsemen making them slow in the swamp, and then she continues the combo. However some of the horsemen leave the area of the spell before the second one hits.

Benji was already expecting that kind of thing and strikes the horsemen that escaped from the spell combo. However one of them halted his charge when the others, Benji noticed that but continued to kill the other ones.

That samurai was different than the others and not only because he was smarter but his armor was in a different color, while the others had black and red armor that one had black and dark blue armor. Benji wasn't familiar with samurai rankings so he could only guess that the blue one was stronger than the others.

Forced to let go of the spear Benji grabs the blue samurai's spear when he charged and attempted to pierce him. Benji cringes as his body is once again pushed back by the superior momentum, but this time the samurai was also waiting for that and doesn't fall from the horse.

Benji felt his hands bleeding as the armored gloves were unable to block the entire attack and he was holding the wooden shaft, the blade was pointing to his chest but wasn't touching him.

Benji pulls on the spear surprising the samurai, but he doesn't let go of it, Benji was expecting that and hits the shaft with his right hand breaking it, the samurai now falls back as the shaft that was supporting the opposing strengths breaks. Benji holds the broken spear and smiles seeing the long and sharp tang coming from the exposed area bellow the area of the shaft that was in one piece, the spear was now a rather good dagger, a triple bladed dagger made from a kamayari.

The samurai recovered before Benji could make advantage of the moment, wielding a katana the samurai gets on an offensive defensive stance, Benji kicks dirt on the samurai and attacks as he covers his eyes. The now kama dagger does a fine job cutting the samurai, it lacks the massive damage from her original function but still gives a very good amount of it, the testimony is the severed head flying on the air.

Benji grabs the samurai's sword and scabbard; he heard Makie shouting about a new wave, backing slightly Benji grabs the spear that he discarded, he would need it as the ground shakes with the new incoming wave, he knew that would be a massive one.

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With nothing more than the footprints on the grass as indication of the path Layla leads a group on the direction that Benji, Haruka and Makie ran to, some broken branches also indicated the path. Layla was inwardly scared of what might be happening, of what would make not only Benji wake up in the middle of the night and run out of the guild with nothing more than his sleeping clothes and few weapons.

Alexis was nervous too, she and Isis experienced something like that before and the result was a new girl and new guild, Atsuko was very nervous about everything she has no idea of what is going on, but as Layla she was better equipped, while without time to put on most of her equipment Atsuko was wearing her armor and weapon, Layla was only with a light armor over her sleeping clothes and her sword, all the girls there were like that, with barely enough time to pick their weapons before rushing out of the guild.

"What in name of heavens…?" Atsuko asked seeing the now blood soaked field, few spots of the field were covered in burning pieces of wood, grass and ground itself; sited in a spot of green grass of the middle of everything is Benji, Haruka and Makie, Benji's right leg is outstretched while his left is like he were sited in Indian style.

Haruka is sited with her right knee close of her chest and her left leg stretched, she is holding her staff against her shoulder as the tip is resting on the ground. Makie is with her back against Haruka's and is sited with her legs next to her body, unlike Benji the two girls are clean, well ignoring few spots of dirt.

However the most shocking detail other than seven arrows nailed on Benji's right shoulder and arm is a little blonde girl lying on the grass with her head resting on Benji's left leg as he softly runs his left hand on her hair.

When in range Isis casts sanctuary around the group, they can't hear whatever Benji whispers to the girl, but they can hear both Haruka and Makie are softly singing something. "Maiori tekita shiroi tenshi yo…"

"What happened in here?" Layla asked in shock and disbelief. "Well it is a kind of a long story." Benji answered with a tired smile. Atsuko walks to Benji and swiftly, and in the most painful way possible she tears the arrows from his arm and shoulder. She eyes his right leg and then starts feeling his right thigh.

"Easy there!" Benji exclaimed. Atsuko noticed the pained edge and focusing her senses she holds her left hand in the middle of his inner thigh before smashing her right fist on the outer side. Benji shouts in pain as Atsuko breaks the healing bone, pulling strongly on his leg she starts to adjust the bone.

"A little warning next time!" Benji shouted angrily. "Yeah sure." Atsuko replied healing him, she lived with him for months to know that he sometimes need some pain to remind him of certain lessons in life, as not let himself be healed with a out of place bone.

"So what about explaining what happened?" Erika asked to the trio. "No idea, ask to Benji." Makie replied. "Idem." Haruka added. "I explain in the morning, now I want to get rid of this blood coating." Benji said to them. "And leave this place before a new mob appears." "I can agree with that." Layla commented.

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With a towel wrapped around his waist and cleaned Benji is washing Maria's short hair. "Keep your eyes closed." Benji said while gently scrubbing her hair. "Okay." She replied with her eyes closed, Benji wasn't able to convince her to bath with one of the girls; Maria was firm in not letting him go so in the end he was forced to bath with her.

He made a condition that if she kept her eyes closed all the time he would allow; he really didn't want to let such young girl see his scarred body. Maria complied with his request and was mostly acting like a doll under his care, Benji washed her carefully trying to be gentle and impersonal as possible as if he is a nurse bathing a girl unable to move.

"Keep them close shut I will rinse you now." Benji said holding one of the many portable shower heads. "Okay." Maria replied, Benji rinses away the shampoo and the bubbles from her, he had cleaned every spec of dirt and blood from her small body. Carrying her to the hot spring Benji let the girl sit on a shallow area while he soaks a little on the deeper side. "You can open your eyes now." Benji said knowing that the water will cover the details of his skin.

Maria obeys and looks around before letting out an impressed 'wow' at the sight of the bath; Benji smiled knowing very well how breathtaking it is when seeing it for the first time.

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Half an hour later after returning to the guild Benji is now wearing clean clothes, his hair is damp and his left hand is wrapped around Maria's small hand, she is wearing a overly big t-shirt clearly not for her and her short hair is also damp.

Layla looks at them. "Why you took her to the bath?" she asked in a mixture of curiosity and jealousy. "She doesn't want to let go of me." Benji answered. "She doesn't speak the same language that we all do, but my mother language and since no one else here does she isn't letting go of me."

Layla scratched her hair when hearing that, sure she felt silly for being jealous of a six years old girl but something on that girl made Layla uneasy, but she also could understand why she was clinging on Benji like that. Benji sees the other girls around Layla and with a swift move he snatches Jannine's morning star.

"My morning star!" She whined seeing Benji holding the spiked mace. "If anyone wakes me before I feel like waking up I will shove this morning start up her ass!" Benji shouted to them. "Am I making myself clear?!"

"SIR! YES SIR!" All the girls shouted in unison most out of fear of punishment than normal acceptance of his orders. "Good." Benji said shouldering the morning star and moving to his room with the little girl still attached to his hand.

"He is always like that in here?" Atsuko asked to Layla. "Some times when he is really tired or annoyed he scares us like that." Layla answered still feeling her behind tense at the idea of the morning star shoved up her ass; Benji sounded like it would fulfill the promise.

The group disbands waiting for an explanation on the morning it was late and they were tired so why wait long hours awake when they could sleep and wait without noticing.

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It was way pass ten in the morning and Benji wasn't giving signs of leaving the bedroom. Layla was starting to get uneasy about everything. "Look Layla just let him sleep more." Haruka said seriously, she is Japanese so she is very worried about Benji developing some lolicom streak and favoring the little girl over them, but the fear of a morning star up her ass is more than enough to make her not barge in his room.

Benji's bedroom door opens and from there Tsugumi and Ruri leave the room. "Why the commotion out here?" Tsugumi asked to Layla. "What is going on inside?" Layla asked to the Sohee. "Sleeping." Ruri answered yawning and stretching.

Gently pushing the demon girl to the side Layla peeks on the still open door, in the bed Layla could see a lump on Benji's bed. Moving her eyes across it she sees Benji's head resting on a pillow while the bed sheet is covering him from the bellow the shoulder, Layla glared at a mop of blonde hair appearing from under the sheet, covering the lower half of Benji's face, Benji's left arm is over Maria's small shoulders as she sleeps holding him tightly.

"What happened?" Layla asked to them. "Why she is in his bed?" 'And why I am not the one there?' she added in her mind. "She refused to sleep alone or in my bed." Ruri replied casually. "Benji allowed her to sleep on his bed and I remember that they weren't like that when I went back to sleep so during her sleep that girl clutched on him."

Layla sighed at the answer. "We can't help it." Atsuko commented closing the door, it was a cute scene so why stress about it. "Let's leave, when he wakes up he explains to us what happened. Besides there are things that we can do around here without his supervision."

Layla sighed again and nodded, the kitchen still needed to be repaired so she had to pay the contractors, the lower level members needed to level and the castle needed a good cleaning too. Giving orders to Erika and Haruka to gather the others Layla moves to the dinning hall, she would issue the duties for everyone.

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Benji was irate, he could live with not having much of a privacy or private life, eating monsters for food, killing people, having sex with multiple partners, having two attention demanding cute pets, shouldering an entire guild of girls, fighting in a stupid war and not having news of his saviors. But someone crossed the line of what Benji held as limits and he knew who it was to blame for that.

Storming out of the room brandishing the morning star Benji shouts. "HARUKA!!!!!" Benji's voice echoes in the large castle and only loses a hint of power when reaching the wizard's ears. "You are dead." Marine said to the blonde girl. "He discovered that." Panicking Haruka looks around for shelter or a way to escape or even better a way to ease his wrath.

She isn't given time since the door of the sorcery study room was splintered by a massive impact, seeing enraged Benji and the morning start in the middle of the mist of splinters Haruka did the only think that anyone that anyone aware of his or her sudden death does.

Haruka cried in verge of death and wet herself soiling her clothes, throwing herself at her knees Haruka started to attempt to beg for her life, throwing herself deep in groveling. "You out now!" Benji roared to Marine. "You don't have to order twice." Marine replied in fear running out of the room, the sheer death aura that Benji was giving out was enough to make her cower in fear and she wasn't even the target of it.

"You have three seconds to come with a damn good excuse for why all my clothes are white and you entered in my room without permission." Benji hissed with his voice dripping with poison enough to poison the girl. "And if I am not convinced I will let this morning star make the talking."

Observing everything from the safety of the distance corner of the hall Layla peeked to the hall of the sorcery study room. "How bad it is?" Layla asked to Marine. "I need dry panties bad." Marine said when finally realizing that Haruka wasn't the only one who lost the control of her bladder in sheer terror. "He is letting out some odd black mist like aura thing. I think that in a one to ten scale of anger he is around on one hundred and seventy four."

"What in name of heavens that girl did?" Atsuko asked shocked with the developments. "Well it was supposed to be a prank." Makie said knowing what was going on. "Shiroi tenshi. White angel, while Benji was sleeping Haruka replaced his usual clothes for white ones. Every single piece of them."

"I don't see reason for that much anger." Atsuko commented hearing the pained cries from Haruka as Benji punishes her. "He doesn't have all that much privacy." Makie explained. "So I am guessing that his room or at least his closet is supposed to be a place where he can be alone unless he invites some one in, and since Haruka trespassed…"

Atsuko scratches her head in confusion, she decided to not worry about how Benji applies discipline to his members, but from Haruka's cries she is more than sure that isn't a beating as it gave the idea of being it. The other girls keep their distance not even daring to enter in the same hall of the room where Haruka is being punished.

"I think that we might go do other things." Layla said trying to control the situation. "Haruka brought that to herself by entering on his room, we all know the rules." The other girls nod agreeing gossip about the event while moving away, more than few of them saw Benji stalking his way after the multi-class wizard girl, they decided that discretion was the best part of valor and went to do other chores and ignore the girl.

One and a half hour later Benji now in his usual dark blue highlighted black clothes walk to Jannine. "Here." Benji said handing her the morning star. "Do I really want it back?" Jannine asked eying the spiked head of her most favorite weapon. "I used another kind of punishment." Benji replied. "I only used that to demolish the door."

"Then I guess that it is okay." Jannine muttered storing her weapon away. "How bad is she?" Jannine asked worried. "Let's say that she won't walk right or sit for few days or weeks." Benji answered with a fanged feral grin making all the girls on the dinning hall shiver in fear. "Anyway I will settle few things in my office send Layla there when she shows up here."

Jannine nodded scared as Benji walks away. Twenty minutes later Haruka still her soiled clothes enters on the dinning hall, as Benji said she wasn't walking right and she is rubbing her hips clearly in pain. "What he did to you?" Jannine asked worried, seeing the disheveled girl.

"Something that I wanted in a way that I didn't wanted." Haruka answered walking to the kitchen. "We have ice don't we?" "Yes we do why?" Marine answered worried. "My butt needs it." Haruka replied wincing. "He really made me raw and sore."

"At least he didn't use my poor morning star." Jannine commented. "Wait a second there, what did he use then?" "As I said something that I wanted." Haruka replied tiredly. "Now let me get some ice and then let me get to my room and rest for few days."

Layla heard that, she were about to go to Benji's office, when entering on Benji's office after announcing herself Layla asked. "What exactly did you do to Haruka?" Benji smiled and glanced to Maria who is entertaining herself with a puzzle in a blanket next to his desk before answered.

"What she has been trying so hard to get from me since you and me had that affair in the tower?" Benji asked back. "Ahhh…" Layla replied understanding. "So you…" Benji nodded confirming. "With no lube…" Once again Benji nodded confirming Layla's unfinished question.

Layla winced lightly at the thought. "Did she got off?" Layla asked. "I made sure of that." Benji answered with a nod. "But I also made sure of make her ass as red and raw as possible too. She got what she wanted and I punished her so two birds with one stone."

"Well as long I don't get one of those I think that I will be fine." Layla commented sitting on her chair. "I really don't want to get punished like that." "And I wouldn't punish you or any of the others like that." Benji replied seriously. "Haruka is a different case because what she did to me in this office, you and the others even healed using sex as punishment would bring up painful wounds."

Layla nodded with a smile, happy that Benji never forgot their hardships, but she had to agree Haruka had that coming anyway, all the sneaking around and jumping on him naked or half naked would catch up with her eventually.

"Now changing to some other important issue." Layla said glancing at Maria. "What happened yesterday?" Benji leaned back on his chair; he didn't have much time to come up with an explanation for that.

"Before I start my explanation let me tell you that I also don't know much about this." Benji said seriously. "So much of this is only theories." Layla nodded understanding, what she liked when discussing with Benji on serious issues is that he is honest and straight with the subject, at least most of them.

"Makie, Haruka, that little girl named Maria, and lastly me." Benji said listing the people that he knows that isn't from that world. "We came from the same place but very different locations. That is why I know the language that Maria speaks, after all is my mother tongue and that is why Maria doesn't like to be away from me, I am the only one who understands her."

Layla nodded understanding that makes a lot of sense; it also explained the unfamiliar songs of Benji and Makie. "And how far is that place?" Layla asked, actually was mostly curiosity she wanted to she her beloved's homeland.

"Very far, so far that no one of us knows how we got her or even how to get back." Benji answered, he spoke with Makie, Haruka and even Maria trying to understand how they got there but no one knew why, and Layla wasn't ready for everything yet. "We are guessing that is magically related, we somehow got pulled from our home to Rune."

Layla nodded in silence now she was confused but she also understood it to a lesser extend. "Somehow we of that land can detect the arrival of someone of the same land if we are within a certain range." Benji added. "In the night before I freed you and the others it happened for the first time, I felt a sensation that I can't describe but it was dread and urged me to rush to the place where the newcomer was, and that is how I met Haruka, she was being chased by a huge mob."

"So you rushed there poorly armored and killed the mob?" Layla asked. "I rushed there only in my night clothes, without any kind of equipment." Benji answered. "But for to moment that isn't important, later in that day I met Makie by chance, a girl from my land, the second that I meet, she knew that we were from the same land…"

"Because of that song that you sang when she called you hero." Layla finished, she recalled that well. "It was the first time that she met someone from her land, my second so I am guessing that there aren't many of us here or if there are we don't know how to identify each other." Benji continued with a nod. "And since then nothing happened and before that a little more than four months had passed with me being here in Rune, now five months from when Haruka appeared Maria appeared here in Amatsu."

"And where Makie appeared?" Layla asked. "Payon." Benji answered. "In a field outside Payon, well in the one just after you leave the city." "And where you appeared?" Layla asked looking at him. "Morroc." Benji answered with a smile. "Somewhere in the middle of the Sograt desert without water or food, I was lost there for one week, I only survived because I ate everything that I could kill and drank the blood that I could get."

Layla looks worried at him, but she remembers that it had happened nearly one year ago, he was there standing fine and healthy. "I don't really understand this whole thing but from what I gathered there is a range were we can detect the appearance of someone." Benji said with a reassuring smile since he can see the worry on Layla's silver colored eyes. "Maria was farther away than Haruka was, but I don't know the range of the detection what I think that I know is that isn't more than ten kilometers, is a lot but isn't really much."

"And you can pinpoint the exact location of the person?" Layla asked. "More or less." Benji answered. "We get the feeling like tidal wave, we can feel the direction of it, and once we get in movement it gets line a thick column of smoke hitting us and guiding in the right direction. At least that is the best that I can explain."

"And what you will do about her?" Layla asked pointing to Maria. "Saying that keeping her makes her sound like a pet; the best word is to take care of her." Benji answered. "She doesn't have anyone else who understands her speech, so I will have to teach her English, after that I have no idea."

Layla nodded understanding and agreeing, she gathered that much after seeing Maria sleeping on Benji's arms. "Then we need to purchase clothes for her." Layla commented. "She can't wear your clothes." Benji nodded agreeing, he was planning to leave for that as soon Maria's dress is dry.

"Now another subject that I find pressing." Layla said seriously. "That Atsuko woman, what you decided?" Benji sighed inwardly he was expecting for that. "She is also agreeing in the polygamous relation that is common around here." Benji answered. "So I have to work on a schedule for two, well three of you since Haruka will want it as soon she can sit right."

Layla nodded in silence. "Now why you don't like her?" Benji asked to his silver haired lover. "Other than plain jealousy?" Layla asked, Benji nods confirming. "I get this feeling that she will hurt you." Layla answered honestly, it was true, she doesn't know how Atsuko will hurt Benji but she knows that it will happen.

"Layla if somehow I am returned to my homeland the departure from you would hurt me." Benji said with a sad smile. "That is why I kept a certain distance from everyone before our night in the tower to avoid getting myself and my lover hurt. You were the one that convinced me to let go of that worry and enjoy the happiness while I can."

Layla nodded in silence. "Come here." Benji said pushing his chair back and patting on his lap. Layla obeys and sits on his legs, Benji wraps his arms around her waist and she wraps hers around his neck. "I don't want to leave Rune; I have more than one reason to stay."

Benji kisses the tearing knight, Layla accepts and responds to the kiss unable to express her happiness with words, she knew that she could accept Atsuko in his bed now. 'He must be right…' She thought while sucking on his tongue, twirling hers with his. 'This must be the pain that I am feeling that she might give him…'

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Two weeks flied by since Maria's appearance, the little girl revealed to be extremely smart being able to learn quickly, in that short time of learning and living in the guild she started to speak English, still badly but enough to make small sentences and requests.

Benji was working on his usual guild master tasks with two weeks to their first WoE battle to happen the entire guild was feverish and bursting with activity, all the members who still could level up were out leveling, the ones who reached level 99 and weren't helping the others are busy with other tasks, Melissa was visiting Prontera, Payon and Morroc checking on the merchants looking for new equipments and requests from other members, escorted by Alexis and Saya for safety reasons.

"Okay lunch time." Atsuko said entering on Benji's office with a tray full of food. "Let's take a break and eat something." Benji said to Layla and Erika. He turns to Maria and calls the girl to eat, Maria stop working on her studies and move to Benji's desk to eat.

The lunch is eaten with a light chat, everyone there wanted to relax a little. "Taisho!" Karen one of the hunters that were on the gate keeping duty exclaimed as she entered on Benji's office. "There is a messenger from the emperor's palace here; he says that he has to deliver a letter, and he is firm that he will only deliver to you."

Benji sighed. "He is by the gate?" Benji asked. "Yes. I said that I was going to inform of his arrival." Karen answered. "Well you can bring him in." Benji replied. "I will receive him here." Karen nodded and moves back to the gate.

Atsuko sighed and starts to clean his desk from the lunch. "We continue this after the meeting." Benji said with an apologetic smile. (Maria mind in gathering your books? I will receive an outsider.) Maria nodded and gathers her books and stores them.

"And what we do?" Layla asked to Benji. "The three of you can stay here." Benji answered. "Unless he requests a private meeting I don't see a problem for you stay." Layla nodded, Atsuko returns and sees how Layla, Erika and Maria are standing behind Benji's desk and moves there.

Karen knocks and announces herself, receiving the permission to enter Karen opens the door and leads the messenger in. "I came in name of his majesty emperor Tomotaka." He said in a formal way and tone. "I brought you a letter of my master."

Benji takes the offered letter. "You are to take a reply back?" Benji asked. "Yes." The messenger replied. Benji nodded and opens the letter, he sighed in relieve seeing that the emperor recalled to write in English. Benji sighs inwardly now in annoyance as he reads the letter.

Pulling a sheet of paper from one of his drawers Benji pulls a pen and writes his reply before placing on an envelope and passing to the messenger. "Tell him that we will are honored with his invitation." Benji said formally. "We humbly accept the honor of joining him tonight."

"I will pass the message." The messenger said with a bow. "If you excuse me." Karen leads the messenger away closing the door after they leave. "So what it said?" Layla asked worried. "What you had to accept?"

"We were invited to a feast tonight on the Emperor's castle." Benji answered in a tired tone. "Not the entire guild but only me and five of the members that I see fit to join in such event." "We can't just ignore the sponsor of this castle." Erika commented seriously. "I could tell that you weren't fond of the idea of going on that feast."

"Well I don't really like all the fanciness of the court." Benji replied. "And since is a formal event it requires formal clothing, the upside is that we are allowed to go in formal clothes of our own lands instead of the formal clothes of the court."

"Well at least that makes easier." Atsuko commented. "So who are you taking with you?" "You, Layla, Haruka, Alexis and…" "Not me." Erika said in a gentle tone cutting Benji's sentence. "I am really not good in that kind of event." "I don't think that Makie will fit there either." Benji commented. "Why this selection?" Layla asked to Benji.

"In case of something happening we are taking a well balanced party of high level able to fend off most threats even unarmed." Benji answered. "And yes we aren't supposed to take our fighting equipment with us."

Layla frowned but understands why the emperor doesn't let anyone enter armed in a room where he is in. "Why not taking Maria?" Atsuko asked. "It shows that you trust him since no one in his right mind would take a girl of her age in a dangerous place, besides the emperor is your sponsor why he would be threat for you?"

"Atsuko has a point there." Erika commented. "But what about manners? I mean we are talking about meeting with the emperor, I am not even sure that Layla has the needed manners."

"I am a bit unsure of it too." Layla commented. "While I do know good manners I don't know the etiquette of a royal feast." "Look the emperor knows that none of us have those manners." Benji said. "As long we follow the rules of etiquette of Amatsu I think that he won't care at a slip caused by lack of knowledge about royal manners, he knows that we are all warriors here."

The girls nodded agreeing. "And clothing?" Layla asked. "I have some nice dresses but nothing that I would call formal enough to such event." "We arrange them; we still have some hours so we should find some good ones in Prontera and Alberta." Benji answered.

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Looking at the mirror on the inside of his closet's door Benji felt like stalking and punishing Haruka once again. 'Letting her select my outfit was a stupid idea…' Benji said to himself as he adjusts the two golden ropes that start on his right shoulder, moved across his chest ending on his left hip.

He is wearing black leather shoes, about those Benji didn't had complaints, they were comfortable and stylish, the trousers where on his good side too, a simple but stylish cut, the red sash like belt was acceptable too, the shirt was okay too, it was a button up white shirt.

But the jacket was bugging Benji, it has silver epaulettes, with four thin silver buttons, the collar was a stand up one holding and covering the lower half of his neck, above everything was that the jacket was waist was short if not nonexistent, it ended above his navel height were the sash ended and the upside 'V' cut of the front of the jacket revealed a triangle of his shirt, lastly the cuffs were white contrasting with blue with black highlights of the fabric of the trousers and jacket.

But without time to arrange something else has to settle with that outfit, after putting on a pair of white silk gloves Benji ties his long hair, now reaching between his shoulder blades; with a simple onyx clip fastened there Benji looks at himself, he wasn't looking bad, the outfit was rather comfortable but he felt uneasy with it.

Leaving the room Benji waits by the door of the dinning hall, they were supposed to meet there, looking at his watch Benji sighs while the girls that won't go to the palace sigh looking at him. 'Why it is taking them so long?' Benji thought, even knowing how long women take to get ready. 'In twenty minutes the carriage will be here.'

"So taisho what you think that the emperor wants?" Jannine asked to Benji. "I don't have much of an idea." Benji answered, it was true anyway the last time that he met the guy he won a castle. "The WoE is nearing and I guess that he wants to hear about our development from me instead from reports. But who knows what he might really want?"

"And if he asks for something indecent with one of us?" Jannine asked seriously. "You would allow him to have his way?" "No." Benji answered in the same tone. "You aren't slaves and I am not your owner, I won't order or force any of you to anything like that. If he asks for that he will get a polite denial, even if he uses any leverage that he has."

Jannine nodded pleased with his answer. "Sorry for taking so long." Layla said in an apologetic tone. "The makeup took time."

"It is okay." Benji replied turning to her. "We still have time." Benji looks at Layla, she is wearing a very dark silver dress, it was simple body hugging gown that was clinging well to every curve of her body, the thin shoulder straps hold it on her shoulders and the dress had a neckline that was edging on the line of modesty, her arms covered with a pair of gloves of the same color of the dress, a beautiful work of lace and brocade.

"It is odd isn't it?" Layla asked meekly, she was uncomfortable with the high heels that came with the dress; she was wearing only a touch of make up and just a silver necklace as jewelry. "You are beautifully stunning." Benji answered with a smile, Layla's hair wasn't all that different from her usual style but it was styled and held in place by silver clips.

"I agree with our leader you are gorgeous." Jannine said with an appraising nod. "You really shouldn't hide that beauty under so much armor." Benji nodded agreeing, but then Layla was also beautiful with her usual clothes, it was a very pleasant change. The others walk to them; they are using mostly the same gown, just changing the colors of the fabric and jewels.

Atsuko was wearing a dark golden gown with gold jewels; Haruka was wearing a very dark violet gown with silver jewels. Alexis was very embarrassed on her black gown and gold jewels, lastly is Maria who is wearing a gothic styled black and white dress. Benji turns to Haruka. "Suigintou?" Benji asked raising his eyebrow.

Haruka chuckled nervously that he discovered where she got Maria's dress. "But she is so cute like that!" Haruka exclaimed. "A gown like ours wouldn't suit her." "I admit that she is pretty cute but gothloli?" Benji replied. "She isn't really matching." "Actually her outfit matches yours." Makie commented. "In the most technical sense your clothes fit the gothic style of hers." "I like." Maria said giving a small spin and making her skirt follow her movements. "As long you like then it is okay." Benji said gently patting her hair.

"So how we are looking?" Atsuko asked with a smile, she really liked that gown; it barely contained her substantial assets, it was the same with Layla. "You are stunning." Benji answered. "Sorry Alexis and Haruka but you two need to fill out a little more to be stunning. But you two are beautiful too."

Alexis blushes madly his words. Haruka is jealous of the other two, she is still a teenager while both Layla and Atsuko are over twenty, she is smaller than them, not to count that she is also Japanese what really weighted on her side, but her advantage is that she isn't pure Japanese and she is counting in a growing spurt to make her not-insubstantial assets become even more substantial.

"Reviewing." Benji said to them. "You all know how to eat with chopsticks?" Maria is about to raise her hand. (You don't have to worry about that.) Benji said with a gentle smile. Maria nodded and smiled back to him. "Yes." Layla, Atsuko and Alexis replied as one, they got practice eating in Amatsu every now and them.

"I am Japanese." Haruka chimed; eating with chopsticks is part of her daily life. Benji nodded pleased. "The table manners?" Benji asked. "We reviewed that a lot." Atsuko commented making the others nod agreeing. "Then we are should be able to have a reasonably good time there." Benji commented.

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Benji was relieved that the dinner was flowing smoothly, while fancy the emperor kept the feast clearly in a more modest level, the food were delicious and the attractions where for sure something really worth of notice, it was sad that there was only two males in the room and the women there doesn't appreciate much of the dancing taking place.

Tomotaka was sited between his two daughters, both wearing the several layers of fabric of the formal kimono for noblewomen. Benji was with Maria on his right as he sits on the right of the eldest daughter of the emperor, entertaining the ruler. Benji sighed inwardly at being unable to savor the grilled ell, the emperor stopped eating and the dish was removed before Benji could take more than six bites.

"I hope that you find the next dish flavorful." Tomotaka said with a large smile. "Personally is one of my favorites." Benji smiled letting out a formal reply before sipping on his sake.

Benji coughs hard when the next dish is placed in front of him; it took a huge amount of strength to prevent a huge mess when the sake that he just drank refluxed when in shock he sees a very much naked beautiful woman lying on a black lacquered and gold ornate platter.

Hiromi the oldest princess readily pats Benji's back as he coughs; Benji can't help on noticing her sympathetic smile at his surprise. Layla and the other girls other than Maria are looking in subtle sternness at the emperor and then the women being used as plate for various forms of sushi and sashimi.

'Body sushi?' Benji asked to himself as the cough subsides, having alcohol ending on the wrong hole is really painful. Laughing softly the emperor takes a salmon sushi from the girl in front of him. "This is an delicacy that I very rarely indulge myself to." He said in a warm tone. "I understand that can be a surprise to an outlander, but in Amatsu it is a delicacy that many save months worth of salary to savor."

"I am most honored with your consideration to my person." Benji said in a hoarse voice. "In the land of my ancestors there is a similar costume too, but I never had the pleasure of having it." Benji takes what he thinks to be tuna sushi from the flat stomach of the woman that was served to him.

"I can assure that this is nothing but the best of this land." Tomotaka said smacking his lips after eating his sushi. "I can guarantee the purity of this dish; the flavor isn't the best in an impure one. So tell me more about the land of your ancestors, I am curious to know about the place that gave birth to such a warrior, all men there are like you?"

Benji smiled after eating his own sushi, sure it tasted good but he couldn't really detect any difference of flavor because is served on the body of a virgin, then again he was used to the stronger tastes of his lovers.

"The land of my ancestors in a distant past used to give birth to amazing warriors." Benji said. "In this present time the warriors are rare but were replaced by scholars of unsurpassed wisdom."

The emperor nodded at his words, it was natural that during times of peace that the warriors were replaced by scholars. "Because the land of my ancestors is similar in appearance to Amatsu that I came to favor this city." Benji commented. "But Amatsu surpasses in beauty that land in the present."

With a happy smile the emperor sips on his sake. Maria looks at Benji confused she doesn't know if she should eat, she also isn't all that fond of raw fish. Benji takes a piece of sushi and removes the fish before feeding Maria the rice.

"And that girl, I am curious about her since you arrived." The emperor asked to Benji. "Is she your daughter?" "No your majesty." Benji answered. "She is from my homeland and lost her family because an accident, I am taking care of her until we find her relatives, she doesn't speak English and is just starting to speak English."

The emperor nods and continues to ask questions to Benji. Atsuko leads the others to eat seeing that the daughters of the emperor are eating from sushi and sashimi placed next to the women body.

Snapping his fingers the emperor says something to the butler. "I heard that you also have a liking for distilled cherry wine." The emperor said as he takes a flower shaped silver cup from a servant, then the cup is filled with the dark red liquor. Benji receives a similar one and so are the girls.

"I find the taste of it of my liking." Benji replied with a smile, he truly favored the cherry wine over the rice wine; it took him months to discover the cherry wine. Benji sees Maria holding a similar cup; he takes the cup from her and lightly tastes the contents with the tip of his tongue.

Turning to a servant Benji said. "Please change this for a non-alcoholic beverage. She is too young to drink something this strong." "I am sorry for my lack of attention." She replied taking the cup. "You are as attentive as a father." The emperor said with a laugh.

Benji smiled and sipped the strong wine, he wasn't getting many chances to eat since the emperor keeps showering him with questions, he was sad since the food truly looked delicious.

After half an hour the emperor rests his cup on his lacquered table. "I also heard that your guild is still lacking members to close on the official standard of eighty members." Tomotaka said seriously. "We are one member short." Benji replied. "I admit having a very high set of standards to recruit new members."

"So the guild is your harem?" The emperor asked. "No." Benji answered seriously but politely. "Having an affair with me isn't a standard to enter nor is the guild just a private harem for my leisure. I won't deny that I do took lovers from the ranks of my guild but those lovers came to me willingly and I haven't used of my authority or powers to make them submit to my will or bed. My standards are that someone within my ranks vouch for that person, I only recruit people who are trustworthy, I want members that aren't in the guild seeking for fame, fortune or pleasure, I want members who I can trust who will stay with the guild in good or bad times, helping the guild to grow and become strong."

The emperor nods pleased. "However your guild is only famous because of your fame." He said seriously. "It might have started like that but my members are also gaining fame and reputation for themselves, as you said earlier I only defeated the Golden Years because my guild members were there supporting me." Benji replied in the same way.

Once again the emperor nodded. "To be entire honest with you this feast purpose isn't to hear how the guild fares, it is one of the purposes I can't deny that, but from the reports I know how the castle is." Tomotaka said seriously. "The main purposed is…" Snapping his fingers he turns to his younger daughter. "Mutsumi."

The young princess with short brown hair stands up and undoes her sash letting her countless layers of fabric fall from her shoulders exposing beneath a much lighter set of kimonos. "Mutsumi here wishes to become an adventurer." Tomotaka said not looking at his blushing daughter. "She did behind my back and I am not really pleased with that idea of hers, I just recently discovered this transgression of hers, because her birth I can't just disown her as want to, she still could be used against me, therefore I must to place her under the care of someone who I can trust."

"And I fit the requirements." Benji said seeing where the conversation was going. "Yes." The emperor said with a nod. "While as an emperor I can't accept this affront to my authority and as a father I can't help in wishing the happiness of my foolish daughter, it might be too much to ask but I am placing this fool daughter of mine under your care if you accept the task, I will of course give a fitting rewards, more of a dowry or initial living expenses, you can call it in any way you desire."

"Your highness while honored with the high regard that you hold my person I can't give you a positive answer." Benji said he can tell that the servants are about to burst in indignation. "First I want to talk to your daughter; you can ask to my subordinates that I always question a new member alone. So if is possible I want to do the same before giving you an answer."

"Fair enough." The emperor replied. "Mutsumi take him to your room and answer his questions. No one else will follow you there." Benji nodded and stands up following the fourteen years old princess out of the room. The dinning hall remains in silence with the emperor drinking his rice wine in silence.

In the princess's room Benji leans against a wall while the girl stands on the middle of the room, it was rather simple when compared with everything else. "So what class are you?" Benji asked since he wasn't familiar with her outfit.

"Ninja." Mutsumi answered in a meek tone. "Just recently it was allowed to enter on the circle of normal jobs of Rune-Midgard among two more classes." Benji remained in silence but could understand that. "You really want to join my guild?" Benji asked. "No one else is here I want to hear what you wish and not what your father wants."

Mutsumi remained in silence. "I want to be an adventurer." She said in a less meek tone. "I asked if you want to join my guild." Benji replied. "I am sure that you know what is going on with my guild." She nods scared of him, she was sheltered for most of her life and reaching the level that she did took her four years.

"I want to join." She said looking at him, she was scared of him, she heard rumors about him from the maids of the castle and he was as intimidating as the tales said that he was. "I see." Benji mused looking at the scared princess.

Suddenly he bolts and dashes at her packing a strong punch on her gut, the princess gasps in pain and falls on her knees. "That isn't anything compared to what you might suffer in the WoE." Benji said looking down at the princess. "Thanks to your father my guild that was supposed to be a just for fun guild had to become a WoE guild, that pain that you are feeling isn't a fraction of the pain that my members endured."

Mutsumi gasps for air looking at his feet, clutching her stomach. "If you truly want to become an adventurer you will become familiar to pain." Benji said crouching. "Inflicting or suffering pain. Either way you will know it, so once again you want to join my guild?"

"Yes…" Mutsumi gasped, she was suffering the worse pain that she ever felt in her life, but it also felt good, it felt liberating making her feel like just any other girl that become an adventurer. "Then stand up." Benji said leaving her side. "Show me your determination."

Mutsumi places her right hand on the floor to support herself and tries to stand up. Benji was being particularly rough and mean to the princess but she needed to understand what kind of thing that she will experience outside the castle. "I won't treat you any different than anyone from my guild, you will have to show through hard work that you deserve your post, if you want to rise on the guild then you have to work hard for that." Benji said seriously as Mutsumi struggles to her feet.

"You were disowned your own father said that." Benji added. "You will get an collateral and some living money, but when that ends you will have to earn your own money and pay for your own food and clothes. You understand your place?"

"Yes." Mutsumi said standing over her trembling and weak knees. "Then gather only what you truly needs and treasure, you might also take what you think that can sell for money." Benji instructed. "You won't get servants in the guild you will have to take care of your own things."

Mutsumi nodded. "Now which way back to the dinning hall?" Benji asked leaving the room the place was a maze. Taking a rather pained deep breath Mutsumi show him the way.

Back in the dinning room Benji tells to the emperor his decision; however Benji is surprised with the little time that Mutsumi had to remain in the palace, she had to leave after the feast with Benji and the others. The feast continues with Mutsumi leaving to her room to gather the little of her belongings that her father hasn't ordered to be packed and shipped to the Silver Moon castle.

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Two days have passed since Mutsumi were expelled from the emperor's palace, Benji learned on the way back to the Silver Moon castle that a female princess aren't of much importance, Tomotaka had a still child son who would succeed him, Hiromi was married to a important nobleman that was often away for political reasons, it was clear that her marriage was nothing more than a political maneuver to gain more power and ensure the loyalty of her husband.

It was a fate that Mutsumi guessed that she would have too, but she had a dream of exploring and fighting monsters as the heroes of the legends that she grew listening so with the aid of Saeki her loyal handmaiden and best friend she joined the ninja guild Saeki herself being a betsushikime, a samurai woman or fighter, at least that was what Haruka said that it meant in Japan.

In Amatsu it was a variation of the swordsmen class, Amatsu held its own classes since it is a different country, a betsushikime was a swordswoman trained to use sword and bows but mastered in the use of medium to short sword since they are normally kept as last line of defense of a noble, so in Amatsu was common for a castle maid be trained in combat to protect her assigned noble.

Benji sighs inwardly looking at the two new additions to his guild. Saeki was in a higher level than Mutsumi; Benji also learned that Saeki trained with a naginata and a nagamaki but haven't focused on their use. Saeki is wearing a dark pink kimono with a dark red hakama, but instead of being the loose type that one was more like normal pants, her long brown hair is tied in a simple ponytail.

The two girls are fourteen years old; Saeki is on level 49 while Mutsumi is on level 35, too low to leech from even the lower level guild member. Turning to Layla Benji said. "Raki is healthy?"

"Yes she fully recovered." Layla answered. "Why you ask?" "Since she is still a novice, Mutsumi and Saeki are too low level to leech; we could make them a party, send a high level rogue with them and let them level in Lutie." Benji answered. "I was also thinking in having Maria to go with them too."

"Well it is true that we can't get them in an acceptable level in time for the WoE." Layla commented. "But sending them to level slow sounds like a waste." Benji nodded agreeing but he as everyone else was busy with the incoming battle. "We don't have time to the power leveling with the two of them, besides I don't want to force Raki and Maria who are too young to that kind of stress." Benji said. "We can let them level in a more leisure pace."

Layla nodded; at least until the WoE ended it was the best course of action. "Besides I have this equipment that I am sure that Maria will use well." Benji added. "What kind of equipment?" Layla asked surprised, unless he meant the usual novice gear she has no idea of what he meant.

"Some equipment that I am holding that came from the treasure boxes." Benji answered. "I show you later, get your sister and Maria here." Layla nodded and leaves the office.

The transition of the two teens were rather smooth, it surprised Benji to see how they adapted to the commoner's life after a lifetime as nobles. "As I said before I am not giving you two any preferential treatment." Benji said when they are alone in his office. "The only reason that we aren't pushing the two of you as hard as we did to everyone else is the sheer lack of time, even if we worked all day long for the next twelve days you two wouldn't reach the desired level to fight and it would worn everyone else in the guild. We are saving that kind of training once this first battle is over, and the rogue will be there with you as well as a knight of my trust to ensure your safety because my guild and I have many enemies, I don't want to risk anyone and that include the two of you."

"We understand." Saeki said. "You two will be aiding the two novices that we have in our ranks." Benji continued. "Don't push them far because they are younger than you two. Other than that go out there and have fun, but obey the knight." Saeki and Mutsumi agreed at his words.

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"Okay Maria here is the items that I am lending to you." Benji said handing to the girl a blue bunny plushie. "Taisho why that?" Layla asked in shock. "How she can possibly fight something using that?"

Benji smiled. (Maria I want you to hold it by the ears swing it and then throw it at Layla as hard as you can.) Benji instructed the child. (Don't worry she will be fine.) Maria nodded and turns to Layla while holding the plushie by the long blue ears and spinning it really fast.

"Brace yourself." Benji said to Layla. Layla looks confused at her lover, and then Maria throws the bunny at Layla. The silver haired knight feels the massive impact of the strike and can't believe on it, her body flies two meters back before she lands flat on her back; Layla was stunned and unable to move.

Maria was holding the plushie once again waiting for more instructions. Recovering and feeling Erika's spell working Layla turns to Benji. "What was that?" Layla asked rubbing her sore and bruised forehead. "Blue bunny of absolute stunning defeat." Benji answered. "I call it Sansão. It is an item for novices."

"And why you held it secret?" Erika asked. "Considering the huge amount of power of the weapon I felt that was wiser to keep is secret." Benji answered. "It gives a +80 bonus for all the stats+5000 for HP and +3000 to SP, one hundred percent of hit, seventy percent of chance of stun, long range enhanced damaged, short range enhanced damage, attack +900 defense +50, ASPD +100, and the skills bunny fling, bunny toss, bunny swing and bunny flail. And the bunny toss is a passive skill that enhances the damage and the stun chance of the attack, the bunny flail does the same thing to short range attacks."

The girls stared to Maria who is holding the weapon, actually hugging the bunny without realizing the power of the plushie. "And when paired with this." Benji said putting a brooch shaped as a simple red dress on Maria's dress breast. "It doubles the attack and the defense. But this is only given to novices."

"So Maria is now the stronger fighter in the guild?" Layla asked stunned with the equipment of the blonde child. Benji nodded confirming. "And why giving her such powerful items?" Saeki asked shocked with what she heard. "Because she can use it well." Benji answered. "And it allows her to level fast without having to worrying about points and jobs so she can be a novice for as long as she wants."

"And me?" Raki asked to Benji. "Well for you I have this." Benji said handing to her a similar bunny but instead of being blue is pink. "That is the Pink bunny of mirror, I call her Dalila. When you are teamed with Maria you will gain all the bonuses and effects that Sansão gives, well taking out the stun. It is another novice item. Now the two of you can go out and have some fun."

The two girls nod holding happily at their respective bunnies. "Erika you call Alexis and tell her to take Isis and go to Lutie with the girls." Benji said to Erika. "Tell them to take some money too, let them have fun and enjoy a day there."

"Okay." Erika replied finishing treating her friend. "Okay girls let's go meet your chaperone." Erika cheerfully said while clapping her hands and leading the girls away. Layla stands up and brushes herself. "I can't believe in that those two plushies are so powerful." Layla said looking at Benji.

"Appearances can mislead." Benji commented. "Lock the door and come here I have to make up for showing to you Sansão's powers." Layla smiled and nodded, happily moving to lock the door and get the compensation for experimenting the power of the plushie.

………Far from there……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Mana looks out of the window. "So two days now." Shina commented by the door of her friend's room. "Yeah, in two days his guild will have its maiden's fight and we won't be there to see how strong he became." Mana replied sadly. "Lately I feel like I made a mistake when coming here, we missed so much."

Shina nodded agreeing they really enjoyed their time with Benji and they heard by broken and late news how strong he became, they realized that they cared deeply for him and pained them to not being there to watch him walking on his path. "And about us?" Mana asked. "Was there any news about the situation? This whole siege thing can't continue like this."

"Tristan III said that if the invaders can't take this castle on this next WoE they will have one week to move and stop the pursuit and siege of this castle when not in the period dictated by law." Shina answered. "It seems that he finally saw that turning the blind eye to this was really hurting the WoE reputation, many guilds protested because they are scared of being attacked when not in the WoE period, having members tortured to spill important information that can be used by the invaders or prevent them from fighting with full power. It is hurting the economy because many guilds that were interested in the WoE are breaking out of fear of if they capture a castle they will be sieged like this."

"Finally some action." Mana commented. "This whole thing is a pain, what good is for us to get a castle if we only get worries?" Shina nodded agreeing as Mana she was hating to stay locked in the castle for more than nine months but as two of the vice leaders they had to show the example for the troops and keep the morale up.

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It is three in the morning of Saturday April's tenth, at least that is what Benji's watch is telling him, for everyone else it was something else; it was the night before the day of the WoE.

As everyone else Benji didn't slept much, but unlike the girls of the guild, at least the great majority of them Benji wasn't unable to sleep because anxiety, it was that too, but the main reason is that he divided what would usually be his sleeping hours between his three lovers.

Atsuko wanted to be the last one of the night, Haruka and Layla didn't complained and were the first and the second ones. Atsuko was content that she were able to expend her hours with Benji, he was sited on the bed looking at the window and the distant horizon, she knew that he was worried about what was about to come.

She felt that he was distracted on that night, she didn't blame him for it after all is his first battle in the WoE and everyone gets nervous on their first time, so Atsuko redoubled her efforts in making him relax and forget those worries, she knew that she succeeded for a while.

Hugging Benji from behind pressing her bare breasts against his back Atsuko rests her chin against his shoulder and her cheek on his cheek. "Don't get so tense." Atsuko whispered gently, with her arms wrapped around his chest. "You did everything that you could now is up to them."

Benji reaches back and gently caresses Atsuko's hair, thanking her silently for her support. But Benji was still worried his role was the worse one in the entire defense plan, at least he felt that was the worst one, as the guild leader he should stay with the Emperium in the Emperium room during the entire duration of the WoE, so if the other defenses are breached he can defend it and if needed summon every guild member there to protect the Emperium.

Atsuko closes her eyes savoring the sensations of his hand on her hair and his warm skin against hers, she could feel his chest moving at each breath that he takes and she knows that he can fell the same on her. Atsuko kisses him, she knows that they have less than one hour left before the beginning of the WoE, she want to make the most of it.

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It is four in the morning and every guild member ate, drank, bathed and used the restroom in the half hour prior to that moment, now they are all in their previously indicated locations, ready to battle and well supplied.

Raki, Maria, Mutsumi and Saeki gained important roles in the defense, they would be moving potions, arrows and other items from Yuka, the guild's Kafra lady to the others, so the alchemists can give pots to anyone that needs, blacksmiths have their own supplies, the same with monks and other classes.

Benji was in the Emperium room with Jannine, they are the last line of defense before the emergency call, and they will stay with the Emperium all the time during that day and defend it from any one who might get there. It is four twenty three and the horns of the judges send from Tristan the III signal the start of the WoE, and with that sound the trial of fire of the Seiryu's legions started.

End of the chapter thirteen:

Author explanation corner:

Body sushi: Middle age, rich, powerful and widower. Do I have to name any other reasons for a man order this 'dish'? Nyotaimori is the original term in Japanese; it is the practice of eating sashimi or sushi from the body of a woman, typically naked. Said to be practiced with maidens, at least from one of my sources said that was traditionally served on the bodies of virgins.

Haruka's and Makie's song: Mahou sensei Negima ending song.

New classes: As noticed I added the RO ninja class to the story, Benji is clueless about them since on the time of his departure that class didn't exist. The other classes will appear later on the story.

Original classes: (They might pop up now and then on the story)

Betsushikime: Is an original class, subdivision of the samurai class. It only makes sense that Amatsu and the country where the city is located has its own classes based on their traditions. So Amatsu gets samurai and ninja classes. Even thought I by myself don't think too highly of how the ninja is portrayed in RO. Spies, assassins, masters in killing techniques and use of poison, the legends also give them magical powers. In my personal opinion the assassin class is more ninja than the ninja class, especially after it gained the throw poison knife skill. But as I said it is my personal opinion.

Original weapons and items:

Blue bunny of absolute stunning defeat AKA 'Sansão': Based on a famous comic book character's toy. I admit that I overpowered it a lot but in the original comic book the owner of the toy could pack massive damage on the others as well break walls with her massive strength.

It is a novice only item that gives all the benefits named in the story and can be double wielded with the Pink bunny of mirror and showing its true power, it doubles the benefits of the user.

Pink bunny of mirror AKA Dalila: Also from the same comic book from Sansão, Monica the owner of Sansão also owns Dalila who is her secondary toy/weapon. In the story it became a bunny that mirrors the powers of the Blue bunny of the absolute stunning defeat.

It is a notice only item that shows all its powers when used at the same time as the Blue bunny of the absolute stunning defeat.

Brooch: Another novice only item made to enhance the powers of the bunny users.

Kamayari: Yari is a Japanese spear; the kamayari is a spear with an additional scythe like blade on it.


	15. First siege

Hi this is Benji Himura I am starting a new fanfic. I don't own Ragnarok online I also don't own the characters of that story or the plot; taking out the changes that I will make and the characters that I will create. I own Benji Himura and others characters that will show up in the story. It might be violence and sex in the story so if you are underage of seventeen are warned the content might be too improper to your age. Read by your own will and risk. In anyway enjoy the story.

Signed: Benji Himura

"Text" Talked sentences.

'Text' Thoughts.

-Text- Sounds effects.

(Text) Talked sentences in a foreign language

: Text: Messages show in an electronic screen or written.

**Text**: something being recalled, flashbacks, scenes being replayed.

_Text_: a detail found in a location, scene, person, recording and images that originally wasn't there.

Chapter fourteen: First siege

It is four in the morning and every guild member ate, drank, bathed and used the restroom in the half hour prior to that moment, now they are all in their previously indicated locations, ready to battle and well supplied.

Raki, Maria, Mutsumi and Saeki gained important roles in the defense, they would be moving potions, arrows and other items from Yuka, the guild's Kafra lady to the others, so the alchemists can give pots to anyone that needs, blacksmiths have their own supplies, the same with monks and other classes.

Benji was in the Emperium room with Jannine, they are the last line of defense before the emergency call, and they will stay with the Emperium all the time during that day and defend it from any one who might get there. It is four twenty three and the horns of the judges send from Tristan the III signal the start of the WoE, and with that sound the trial of fire of the Seiryu's legions started.

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The first defense strategy is simple, in Benji's world is called Spawn camping, casting area spell in the spawn point at the entrance and kill everyone that sets foot there. It was the same thing but targeted in the main gate that was open because the WoE rules.

Training and improving basic strategies Benji as well Layla and Erika trained the wizards to time their attacks and delays so there would always be one spell hitting the gate while others are being cast providing a continuous damage to the invaders. It was unknown to them that are the very same strategy used by the White Eyes guild.

The few knights, crusaders, monks and battle priests that passed through the massive rain of sorcery met their end against the front line attackers led by Layla and Alexis, knowing that with equips as well a vitality build certain classes can survive the barrage they focused on killing those few enemies.

The huntresses in their sniping points would take care of them too as well hitting the ones inside the barrage of sorcery the roar of the sorcery mixed with the cries of pain of the attackers filled the air with noise preventing anyone from hearing anything other than a lout shout.

No orders where issued, no command was needed, they all knew what to do and how to do it, it was rehearsed to the exhaustion, the timing was flawless to the huntresses too, they fire arrows with a small time difference between them keeping a continuous rain of arrows.

Invaders fall at the dozens not even able to glance at the inner area of the gate, support priestesses as well the alchemists keep the attackers supplied with health, buffs and SP, Makie was leading them, using her Gypsy's kiss to keep the SP usage lower around her.

It wasn't an easy rhythm to keep, but they were trained and determined to hold the castle for the entire period of the war. Wave after wave invaders pass by the gate, the defeated ones are sent to their save spots but new ones of countless guilds continue to come. The invaders hoped that the continuous battle would wear the defenders as horde after horde of attackers continues to pass by the gate.

Benji paces inside the Emperium room, one hour had passed since the battle started, yet the Emperium room was so deep inside the fortress protected by maze like corridors and guardians that no sound of the battle roaring just outside reached so deep in the bowels of the castle.

"You are really uncomfortable down here aren't you taisho?" Jannine asked sited next to the pedestal of the Emperium. "You are a front attacker after all." "This isn't how I like to lead." Benji replied. "Staying safely back here while everyone else is fighting? How can I do any good in here and not there with them?"

"You trained Layla well to act as your second." Jannine said pulling her knees to her chest. "Everyone knows how you like to be there helping them and fighting next to them. That is why they can trust on you as a leader, they know that they can count on you, and they also know that you trust on them to defend that gate, that is why they can fight knowing that if someone passes by them you will be here to protect our home, not because you think that they can't do their job but because is the best path to follow, I mean that tactically would be unwise for you to stand anywhere other than here."

"I still don't like to be like this." Benji commented sitting down. "Not knowing what is going on or how they are doing out there." Jannine nodded agreeing. "It is stressing but you can't forget that you are our pillar." Jannine said with a comforting smile. "Knowing that you are here to defend our home if we fail to hold the entry it makes us confident that everything will be alright, that if we do our jobs well out in the gate we will get praised for our good work and even if we fail to hold the gate you will comfort us telling how well we did for holding for so long. And we also know how worried you are about us so we want to do well to not make you worry about us."

"You and the others hold me in a too high regard." Benji commented looking at Jannine. "I am just a man." "We know that but we can't help on seeing you as a hero." Jannine replied. "For some of us you are in this pedestal, guiding and helping us, standing there and covering us with your protection. Erika often calls you godsend, most of us, the twenty four rescued ones you are indeed a gift from the gods."

Benji remained in silence, sure he heard about that but Jannine was making him sound like he was a blessing. "Sure some of us tend to treat you more like a toy or a tool to level." Jannine added. "But that is because they are unable to express themselves, others as Layla truly loves you with their entire beings."

"So you girls know?" Benji asked with a smile, he tried to keep secret but in a guild like theirs it was hard, not to mention that more than once Benji have sex with Layla on his office. "Not all of us, you do walk a great length to keep it secret but some of us can tell, there is things that are different when a woman is in love and when that love is reciprocated. Besides Layla walks with a different spring on her step after you two have some encounter same happens with Haruka. Well Atsuko it isn't really a secret."

Benji nodded agreeing about Atsuko's part. "And how the ones who know are taking it?" Benji asked. "Very well, well I must say that some are very jealous too." Jannine answered. "They are jealous of the attention that Layla is getting from you and that they aren't brave enough to confess their feelings, or they are too afraid of having sex after what we have been through."

Benji nodded understanding. "It has been six months and for most of us isn't enough time." Jannine said with tears on her eyes. Benji moves to her and wipes her tears. "You don't have to bring it up." Benji said in a gentle tone. "I understand that."

"I want to bring it up." Jannine commented smiling to him. "I feel a little stronger every time that I talk about it, I was one that were there for the longest period, at least the oldest one of the group that you rescued."

"There was more than one group?" Benji asked surprised. "Yes." Layla answered. "Most of the girls don't realize; but the ones in the beds closer to the door are the ones there for the longer period of time, they sold the ones there to anyone who paid a good amount of money that is why there was an empty bed for Sara. But not all of us were sold, some of us died, I saw more than once I saw girls there that couldn't endure it any longer bit their own tongues and die. Others bit the members of the rapists making them crazy so they killed them. For a while they gagged us when not being used, in cases of member biting the girl would have the teeth ripped from their mouths so they wouldn't do it anymore, most of the time it infected and the girl died."

Benji remained in silence hearing that, he had no idea of that. "After a while the girls lost the will to flee." Jannine continued. "So those precautions weren't needed any longer. Most of us gave up hope, I had given up hope and faith few days before you rescued us, I was about to lose my mind and become a mindless doll when I heard the screams from the rogue dying outside, then it was followed by this orchestra of screams and sound of battle, moments before that I barely noticed that Sara was brought and chained in one of the beds, I was being raped as many of the others were."

Jannine takes Benji's handkerchief and wipes her tears. "Then they moved away when the battle started, they were confused and scared." Jannine said with a smile. "We hardly had strength to wonder what was going on much less talk to each other, they fed us only twice a day so we would swallow when they used our mouths, a way to make us so desperate for food and water that anything that might provide us with nutrients would be welcomed not mattering how foul it might taste. Layla was one that thought that something was really wrong, Erika said that the gods had sent an avenging angel to punish those who imprisoned us."

"Then I started to regain hope and faith as the cries of death of those men reached my ears, it sounded to me like the gods' voice telling me to celebrate that I would be freed." Jannine continued. "Then you came, soaked in blood, with arrows nailed on your body, a vision of a war angel still gasping excitedly from the killing that you just gave on our torturers. I was horrified when you were throw against the wall after fighting that rogue, but I saw that sphere that you threw, which by the way was a miracle that the bomb haven't hurt any of us, and when exploded it was the end of the punishment, I knew that you wouldn't die, I knew that you had something that would heal you, but Makie entered and gave you that white pot, from there is know history."

Benji nodded. "But as we robed the corpses and took the items from them Layla suggested that we somehow show to you our gratitude it was then that Saya found the Emperium, it felt fitting." Jannine commented. "We thought that putting us under your servitude wouldn't be enough to repay you for our lives and freedom, but was a beginning."

"I didn't do that seeking for rewards." Benji said seriously. "I just went to help Sara." "As Erika said it was godsend." Jannine replied with a smile. "That you would bump on Sara just before she was kidnapped and that you would rescue her, action that culminated with our rescue was something determinate by the will of the gods."

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Noon finally arrived giving to the defenders a break, it was lunch time and the attacks had to cease. The gates were allowed to be closed and the defenders retreated to the mess hall where a large meal was waiting for them, but before eating they would use the restroom and then eat, if they had time they would take a nap or wash away the sweat.

The priestesses heal everyone before the meal. They eat quickly the cold food; it was prepared in the night before knowing that they wouldn't have time to cook. Unlike all the other meals that one is in silence, they will have time to chat later eating gains priority since all the fighting made everyone hungry.

Benji watched everyone devouring the meal in silence, for the moment he couldn't do more than that, he would later try to say some words to them, telling how well they are doing and that they are all doing a great job in defending the castle.

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Layla cringes feeling massive cramps on both of her arms, two thirds of the day had already passed leaving only eight more hours of battle ahead of them. She knows that she isn't the only one suffering from muscular pain, all the other melee fighters and archers are, and the casters are with their throats sore and straining their voice to continue to cast their spells.

The only relief that they have is that the number of attackers lessened considerably since it started in the morning, meeting the solid defense of the Silver Moon castle intimidated most of the new, small and fame seeking guilds that thought could make an easy name if defeating the Seiryu's legions.

Still the oldest guilds, more organized and used to the hardships of the WoE continued to attack, some waited until that last third of the battle to join, fully rested and ready to battle.

Layla knew that this last portion of the day would be the hardest not by the sheer amount of attackers but the quality of them, but she also knew that they didn't counted with reinforcements and only with the seventy four members there in the gate they would have to hold for eight more hours.

But Benji's words at lunch made everyone continue to fight hard for their home, it was their home and they wouldn't allow anyone to set foot there without invitation. For Layla, Atsuko and Haruka it was more personal than that, it was also proving to their lover that they would defend their home from the invaders.

Even Maria and Raki helped a little in their own way, the two young girls used their blue and pink bunnies to deal absurd amounts of damage and stun some of the most resilient invaders making easier for the others to finish them.

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Jannine lies in the floor of the Emperium room, she is sleeping softly with her head resting on Benji's lap; the room was silent other than the sound of their breathing. After the lunch they returned to that silent room and remained there, they kept themselves amused with a deck of cards and a sketch book.

For a while they played card games, when bored with that Benji made a sketch of Jannine, he started to learn how to draw with Mana, in their free hours she would teach him, that when they weren't busy with other acts, after they left Benji gave a couple hours by day to practice and was pleased with his skills.

Jannine laughed and played while modeling, making simple poses and moving just to annoy Benji who had to tell her to not move. But after a couple hours it bored them, with the silence in the room Benji began telling to Jannine an old unfinished story that he used to write before his arrival in Rune, he was surprised that Jannine listened with such gusto, he wasn't sure if she liked the story or was just happy in finding another way to ease their boredom.

A chime came from Benji's watch, twenty minutes to the end of the WoE. Layla and the others were still holding the gate. Bored and feeling wickedly evil Benji wakes Jannine. "The WoE is ending." Benji said to her. "I have this plan that I want to execute so you will come with me to the gate."

Jannine was confused but obeyed. "Layla Jannine and I are moving to the gate." Benji said sending a message to the knight. "Leona go get some supplies from Teresa." Benji said now the only other assassin from the guild. "We are going to burst two castles." "By ourselves?!" Leona asked surprised. "We use the mess to enter and break the Emperium before we are noticed; at least that is the plan." Benji replied. "Come on it will be a perfect way to finish this day."

Leona sighed but agreed. While the assassin readies herself Benji and Jannine join the defenders, seeing their leader next to them reenergizes the guild members and they fight even harder.

Leona returns to front, Benji tells to the girls of his plans, the cheer of them surprises and scares the invaders. Leaving the front Benji and Leona head to their targets in Geffen, they head to two different castles, cloaked and avoiding the battle.

Benji knows that he is short of time so he runs cloaked in the halls; his plan is simple break the Emperium sending everyone out of the castle just before the WoE ends, Leona has the same goal but she is a pure sin and not multi-class so she will rely in her breaker equipment to break the crystal.

Making his killing swift and hiding before anyone sees him Benji advances relying in his usual bad luck of finding the way out of a dungeon in games to take him to where he wants to be.

He is a bit surprised in seeing that he did find the right path, the room isn't empty but isn't filled either, two knights, one priest, one huntress and one rogue are guarding the room as the fight is happening in the other halls.

Benji kills the priest by slitting his throat, the surprise of the defenders is enough to Benji finish off the huntress before she can notch an arrow, cloaking Benji moves in the room a knight uses sight and reveals the rogue, Benji was far from the range and uses that chance, killing the rogue was easy.

Poisoning and stunning the two knights Benji sees that the time is almost over, Benji turns to the Emperium and packs as much damage on it as possible, the two knights recover from the stun and attack Benji.

The assassin dodges while still attacking but some of the attacks do hit him; Benji relies on his equipment, HP and skills to keep him standing. The knights shout while stabbing their spears with fury at Benji, he ignores the hits and continues his assault.

As he feels his HP getting too low the Emperium shatters under his attacks sending everyone away from the castle. A message comes to him instants later telling that Leona also succeeded on her mission and took the other castle. The sun rises and with it comes the horns signaling the end of the WoE.

The day was over and so were the battles, Benji falls sited on the floor resting his bloody back on the pedestal of the Emperium, laughing through his pain he can hear the cheering and shouts of his subordinates as they celebrate not only their victory in defending their home but stealing two castles.

Leona was aware that Repherion and Yesnelph were castles that often fell and changed hands in the WoE, no guild made it home yet, so Benji weren't feeling bad for stealing them.

"A priestess or a monk ready to heal me would be nice." Benji said to the girls. "Same here." Leona added. "I took a very bad beating and I hardly have HP left." "We are moving." Layla replied to them. "We are sending you two some healers."

………Far from there…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Mana and Shina laughed and laughed hard, so hard that they are crying and holding their stomachs in pain, their allies and even the enemies stare to them in shock, it was okay that the White Eyes held their castle through the entire day but no one could understand why they are laughing so hard, and not the evil and frightening laugh that they gave when fighting but one of pure amusement and happiness.

They got the message about Seiryu's legions stealing two castles in Geffen just moments before the WoE ended. They were almost in ecstasy for seeing that Benji who they saved and trained not only protected his castle only with his guild but stole two castles in their first WoE, how they couldn't be happy in seeing that happening.

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Back in Amatsu leaving the two new castles empty and alone for the moment Benji as well all the girls of his guild are in the dinning hall, even Teresa was there to celebrate with them even without fighting she fought in her own way.

"I am not good with speeches." Benji said to them standing over a chair. "You all saw the failure that was in lunch." All the girls laughed at his words, they are happy and now that it passed it was a funny to recall and then was inspiring on its own way. "But each and every one of you worked your hardest today and the proof of that are not only that we are here today but the two castles that we stole!"

The girls shouted raising their wine cups over their heads cheering at his words. "We didn't settle in only winning!" Benji continued. "We humiliated them! And today we drink to that!" All the girls cheered loudly once again spilling the strong cheery wine in the floor and on themselves, it doesn't matter it was a party; everyone downs the strong liquor and cheered.

The dinning hall is filled with laughter and happiness, liquor and food are consumed by everyone they were thirsty and starving. Cold leftovers aren't much of a feast, but then even the party wasn't truly a party, everyone was tired, numbed by the long day of battles, their clothes and armors damaged and covered in blood, they were reeking sweat and blood, with muscles aching and throats burning in pain but they are happy.

Benji smiled looking at the tired but happy faces of his friends, it was a long day and he knew that for each and every one of them it felt even longer and torturous, but now that was over they rejoiced in the happiness of knowing that their effort preserved their home and were rewarded by fame and glory, everyone knows the name of their guild and their strength.

The celebration is short, in half an hour only Benji, Layla, Haruka, Atsuko and Erika remained in the dinning hall; everyone else retreated to their rooms to sleep. "So it was worth?" Benji asked to them.

"Every moment of it." Layla answered with a smile. "While knowing that we are able to hold this castle again next month counting with allies wouldn't really hurt." Erika commented with her body aching in pain. "If we could take turns in defending the gate and resting it would be much easier."

The others nodded agreeing but they weren't complaining, they shined in their first battle as a guild. "And what you will do now Benji-taisho?" Haruka asked to him. "I don't mean go to bed and sleep or sleep with one of us, I mean and from now on what we will do?"

"I haven't thought this far in the future." Benji answered with a tired smile. "I focused in one worry at time, and now that the worry of everyone's morale being low because of the doubt if they could defend the castle is gone and the worry of losing this castle is also gone I have to worry on what comes next."

"One month isn't enough time to build a strong alliance or a second guild." Erika commented. "We might lose the two castles that we conquered today." Benji chuckled. "I never really intended to keep those." He commented. "It was just to humiliate those who thought that we were weak and to show to your girls our strength; I wouldn't have done that if I didn't know if you could hold the gate."

"Benji!" A voice called him. Benji looks around. "But we should also take what we can from them while we can." Benji continued. "In the next WoE we decide what to do with them." "Benji talk to me!" the voice said. "I am busy here!" Benji replied annoyed at whoever is sending the message to him.

"Come on Benji is that way to speak to me?" the voice replied in a teasingly crying tone. "After all that we have been through." Then Benji realizes with who he is speaking with.

"Mana?!" Benji shouted happily. "That is right!" Mana exclaimed cheerfully. "I was getting sad thinking that you had forgotten all about me, and all the fun that we had together… I was about to cry."

"No she wasn't." Shina said joining in. "We are calling you to congratulate you. We saw that you not only defended your castle but conquered two more without counting with anyone other than your guild members. We are so happy and proud in hearing of how strong you became."

Layla, Atsuko and Haruka felt pangs of jealousy seeing Benji speaking so cheerfully with his long unheard friends, but they were aware of their relation. "Look Benji as much we would love to chat more." Mana said casually. "We also fought all day long so we are tired too; we call later and chat more."

End of the chapter fourteen:

Author explanation corner:

Castle conquer: I know, at least I think that I know that taking over a castle isn't all that easy, but the conquered castles, at least in the story and in this particular chapter was stolen over seven times each. It is also a known fact that the best time to steal a castle it is at the very end of the WoE, the final minutes or so, because there are less chances of the castle being stolen from you.

The used 'strategy' was the simple walk on the halls cloaked, locate and destroy the Emperium. I think that isn't all that unusual in the WoE that certain castles or guilds are unable to hold a castle that they just seized, I saw happening a couple of times when I played in the same time of the WoE, usually I avoided because the server overload.

Lunch break: Hours of continuous fighting makes everyone hungry, not to mention thirsty and dying for a bathroom break. The lunch break was added to give to the adventurers to much needed time to at least go to the bathroom. I can only imagine how some people suffer in the WoE with two continuous hours of attacking or defending the castle.

Anyone with a little imagination can picture a castle falling because someone left he computer to take a leak because it couldn't hold it in any longer. Be that person a guild leader that couldn't see the attackers and do an emergency call or a guild member that stopped attacking because was away from the computer.

Speeches: I know it sucked; I am not good with speeches.

Jannine's story: It would be too convenient that there was only one group of girls abused, the kind of boldness of kidnapping a girl in broad daylight comes with lots of experience and confidence in doing the same thing over and over. Seasoned criminal groups constantly kidnap, use, sell and kidnap again to have a constant flux of 'merchandise' in the display and for the costumers. More details of this plot will be revealed later as the story develops.


	16. Killing loneliness

Hi this is Benji Himura I am starting a new fanfic. I don't own Ragnarok online I also don't own the characters of that story or the plot; taking out the changes that I will make and the characters that I will create. I own Benji Himura and others characters that will show up in the story. It might be violence and sex in the story so if you are underage of seventeen are warned the content might be too improper to your age. Read by your own will and risk. In anyway enjoy the story.

Signed: Benji Himura

"Text" Talked sentences.

'Text' Thoughts.

-Text- Sounds effects.

(Text) Talked sentences in a foreign language

: Text: Messages show in an electronic screen or written.

**Text**: something being recalled, flashbacks, scenes being replayed.

_Text_: a detail found in a location, scene, person, recording and images that originally wasn't there.

Chapter fifteen: Killing loneliness

"Not that I mind this but why the three of you suddenly decided to sleep together in the same bed as me?" Benji asked seeing the three naked girls walking to his bed were he was lying, Tsugumi and Ruri moved to a different room from them, and Maria was sleeping with Raki.

"Among several reasons jealousy." Haruka answered. "Okay and why Erika is here too?" Benji asked pointing to the stripping priestess behind his three lovers. Layla spins on her heels and sees her friend taking out her clothes. "I thought that was a good time for me to show how I feel too." Erika answered. "And since it is clear that you are keeping more than one lover I thought that another one wouldn't make much difference."

Layla sighed but she smiled, Erika was her best friend and for a while almost lover, she could live with her in the bed too. "Well I don't mind." Layla commented. "I don't really think that I have energy for that right now." Benji said. "None of us." Atsuko commented lying next to Benji. "Sleeping will be fine."

Layla quickly moves to Benji's left side occupying it before Haruka could. Gesturing to Erika to join her Layla smiled as her friend lies between them. Haruka lies behind Atsuko and covers them, Benji sighed inwardly at the lack of movement and space but then why complain when having four gorgeous women on his bed.

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One day had passed with everyone just sleeping off the tiredness of the WoE, Benji was the first to wake, he wasn't all that tired to sleep for so long and the fact that he felt a considerable weight on his chest making hard for him to breath also helped on that.

True he feel temptated to do something with Erika since somehow during the night she climbed on him, but she turned around so her shapely behind was pointed at his face, but Benji decided to not do so, besides the girls were much more tired than he was, leaving the bed was hard but he managed to slip away from there without waking anyone.

Putting a pair of denim slacks and a t-shirt Benji leaves the room; he recalled the mess in the dinning hall and decided to start on the cleaning. He wasn't expecting to find Mutsumi and Saeki already there cleaning the room. "You two are up quite early." Benji said after greeting them.

"We didn't fight as long as the others did." Mutsumi replied. "So sleeping this much wasn't required for our bodies." Benji nodded understanding; one entire day had passed since everyone started to sleep, and it was way past nine in the morning. He was expecting to find the dinning hall reeking alcohol and spoilt food but it was cleaned from that, currently Mutsumi and Saeki are polishing the floor and the tables.

"What you two ate?" Benji asked to them. "We fixed some eggs, bacon and sausages and ate them with bread, milk and juice." Saeki answered. "We can prepare to you if you wish to."

"Thanks but no thanks." Benji replied. "I can do that myself, besides I want to check our supplies." The two girls nodded and Benji moves to the kitchen careful to not disrupt their work, the kitchen was spotless clean indicating that the two were up for more than just few hours.

'They are taking this pretty seriously.' Benji thought taking a smoked sausage from the large refrigerator and taking a bite from it. 'They are working hard to show that they can be precious assets to this guild.'

Benji didn't bothered in fixing something complex or really cooking his meal, a sizable piece of bread, the large smoked sausage and some apple juice were enough to ease his hunger and thirst. He doesn't take much time with the meal; he finishes and leaves the dinning room since his help wasn't needed there.

Benji walks to the inner courtyard where the battle took place; there wasn't even a sign of damage there, as the emperor said the castle was protected by spells that kept it intact even during the most vicious attacks and spells. It was almost like the brutal fighting of just two days earlier was nothing more than an illusion.

All the preparation, the worry and stress felt almost in vain and empty, the castle was almost dead silent, only the rhythm steps of the guardians resounded on the air but even those sounds were dull and fading.

'Months of work and preparation, millions spent in weapons, armor, training, items, ammunition and equipment…' Benji thought looking at the empty space around him. 'Countless hours of training and suffering, all the blood shed for that day and what is so glorious on this?'

Benji leans against the solid wall, the cold stone painted with some kind of varnish stealing the heat from his body. Benji looks at the floor, the stone barely show the extensive punishment that it took, his long hair cascaded down from his shoulders.

'When things changed so drastically?' Benji asked to himself. 'When I stopped having fun and became like this? Why I took this responsibility? When I started to think that I can so easily command so many lives? And why is so easy?'

But no answer came to him, Benji looks at his hands, Mana cradled them when he first felt the weight of killing with ease in the desert he wasn't bothered to kill because it meant his survival, killing for food was okay for him but when killing demi-human monsters for nothing more than experience and fun Benji felt the weight of the taboos imposed on him by his world.

Mana comforted him and helped him to throw those away, killing was something that happened and monsters always reappeared, with humans Benji killed for good reasons so he never regretted or felt the weight of it, Mana's lessons were effective since she also passed to him the way of dealing with death, she was after all an assassin and knew that, her methods of training were everything but orthodox but were painfully effective, he never forgot a lesson that she taught him like that.

She taught him that he should have fun and enjoy his life, he forgot that when leading the guild, when with Atsuko away from the guild the monk rekindled that lesson and Benji had fun with her and they leveled quickly together enjoying the fights and even having fun and laughing when running from a monster that they couldn't kill.

Back in the guild Benji was forced to once again become a stoic leader, the times that he was permitted to relax was when he was with Layla and in a lesser way Haruka. With Atsuko's arrival in the guild the mood was lighter since the monk got along well with Makie and they arranged tons of fun and games to everyone, of course respecting the hours of training and chores.

At that time Benji saw that Layla and Erika shouldered well the responsibilities of being his seconds and his workload and stress lessened considerably and he started to have more fun in the guild, Maria's arrival relieved Benji a lot since teaching the girl and playing with her relaxed both of them, then there was Raki Layla's ten years old sister she and Maria got along well and Maria's ability to speak English developed quickly since they chatted and played together.

Benji didn't had much time to fully know Mutsumi and Saeki, Mutsumi was an honest girl, a bit too naïve and innocent, eager to please and to cheerful in a shy and demure way, she wanted to become a famous adventurer because the legends that she grew hearing.

Saeki was from a family that always served as servants of the royal family, she was prideful of her heritage and duty, very loyal to Mutsumi who was both her ward and best friend, a bit strong willed, stubborn and attached to old traditions and costumes, but she was a nice girl once you get past the shell of tradition, honor, duty, responsibility and servitude.

Benji sighs and slides down the wall sitting on the cold floor, he was feeling tired of the responsibility and missed the days of freedom that he spent with Mana and Shina, the leisure pace that they leveled and the excited movement when they had fun, most of their time were dedicated to sightseeing and tourism, just few hours by day spent on leveling.

A cold wind runs on the castle making Benji shiver, the wall stealing much of his heat so the wind felt much colder, but he didn't really cared about it. (It feels like an eternity had passed since I was sited home typing stories in my computer.) Benji said pulling his left leg close raising his knee, he rests his left elbow on his knee and gazes at the floor but he wasn't looking at the polished stone.

"You aren't alone." A warm and familiar voice said very close of him. Benji looks up and sees Atsuko standing in front of him. "We are here for you." Layla added in a gentle and warm voice, she was just behind Atsuko; they are wearing their normal clothes.

"And none of us will leave you or let you feel loneliness." Haruka said smiling at her savior and lover. "Goshujin-sama why you don't take our warmth?" Atsuko asked offering him her left hand. "We love you and we won't let you go." Layla said looking at him tenderly. "Or our presence is a burden for you?"

Benji saw Erika standing next to Haruka and Layla, behind them was Maria, Raki, Jannine and the other guild members looking at him worriedly. Seeing them worried made Benji wonder why he was so depressed. Benji takes Atsuko's hand and with her help stand up. "Not a burden." Benji said with a smile. "Never a burden."

He can see the worry leaving the pretty faces of his lovers, his friends and his subordinates as they smile back at him. The future that just moments earlier felt cold and dark changed to a warm and bright one, in the oppressive silence of the castle yard Benji felt lonely and forgot that he wasn't alone; he had people in who he could rely on.

He can feel the warmth of Atsuko's hand on his ice cold hand, and that warmth returned the hope that the silent castle sapped from him.

Giving a gentle and reassuring squeeze on her hand Benji gently let go of her hand, with a deep breath feeling the cold air that now revitalizes him Benji said. "Listen up! From now on our path is even harder!"

Benji's voice echoed on the large room as the girls hear in attentive silence. "Just two days ago we showed to the world our strength!" Benji continued. "However solely strength isn't enough to protect our home and our reputation! We have enemies! We have a whole new set of obstacles in our future now that we as a guild gained this castle and reputation! Until now every one of you worked to your hardest and that effort paid as our fame reached every corner of this world! And now we have to work even harder to keep our home, our names and our guild intact! We aren't alone! We only haven't found our allies yet!"

The girls cheered at his words, Benji smiled at them. "Nice words." Layla commented. "Just came to me right now." Benji replied with a smile. "Besides it is true, as you said I am not alone, it just took time to find you."

Atsuko, Layla and Haruka smiled back at him. "That goes for you too Erika." Benji said to the priestess. "I know." Erika replied smiling. "I am just curious to know when I will get my turn. I feel left out." "We can work on that." Benji commented casually.

End of the chapter fifteen:


	17. Long term planning

Hi this is Benji Himura I am starting a new fanfic. I don't own Ragnarok online I also don't own the characters of that story or the plot; taking out the changes that I will make and the characters that I will create. I own Benji Himura and others characters that will show up in the story. It might be violence and sex in the story so if you are underage of seventeen are warned the content might be too improper to your age. Read by your own will and risk. In anyway enjoy the story.

Signed: Benji Himura

"Text" Talked sentences.

'Text' Thoughts.

-Text- Sounds effects.

(Text) Talked sentences in a foreign language

: Text: Messages show in an electronic screen or written.

**Text**: something being recalled, flashbacks, scenes being replayed.

_Text_: a detail found in a location, scene, person, recording and images that originally wasn't there.

Chapter sixteen: Long term planning

One day had passed since Benji's improvised speech on the yard, knowing about the approaching day of the next WoE they are all out to train and level. Benji was in his office checking on the guild books and seeing how much was spent or used from the treasury and stock.

Teresa was there since she knew the amount of items that were taken in that day and later returned. "Three millions worth of potions, arrows and other consumable items." Benji sighed after finishing the math thanks to a calculator that Makie had borrowed to him. "I am not really sure if it was a good mark or not."

"Considering the amount that I heard that other guilds expend regularly in the WoE I would say that is a good mark." Teresa commented with a smile while running her fingers on her long purple hair, since she was in Amatsu the Kafra company decided to make a more fitting uniform for her so it was a kimono with an apron but the usual band was there. "You defended the castle expending only three millions in items it is a sizable feat."

Of course they weren't counting the food eaten on that day, the price of the weapons, armors and cards bought solely from that use; if they did the amount would easily pass five hundred millions, the equipment was considered long term items so they wouldn't be added on that total, Benji was trying to calculate the average amount that will be expend in the WoE periods.

"If this is all may I take my leave?" Teresa asked to Benji. "Sure." Benji answered. "Thanks for your help." "You are welcome." She replied bowing before leaving. Benji closes the account books and put them on his lower drawer.

Stretching Benji sighed before opening the upper left drawer of the desk, he pulls a thicker and smaller book placing it over his desk and then pulls another one much thinner. Flipping the pages of the thinner book Benji finds the last written page and opens the thicker book.

Those were his study books, since he started to develop his own variations of attacks he wrote them down and tried to perfect them, one of his frequent self made questions was why there was such a lack of martial arts and other combat techniques like that in Rune, sure there was the jobs and the skills but every where was the very same thing, every swordsman knew Bash, every thief knew Detoxify, and so went on, there wasn't techniques in the very own sense of the term.

Dante said that Benji's sword skill were good and that he used well the sword, Benji saw and learned that there weren't schools that taught how to properly fight, at least they don't exist in Rune-Midgard, Layla told him when asked that every swordsman develops their own fighting style, the skills were innate until gaining the points and experience for them.

It was the same with all the other classes, that lack of organization and fighting knowledge made Benji think that Tristan III was more focused in quantity than quality of the adventurers, the status and skills made up for technique to a certain level. But if a man with certain amount of knowledge in martial arts and military strategies like Benji could so easily become so powerful when pairing his knowledge and abilities to what he gained in Rune-Midgard, Benji was sure that if he expends enough time training and developing techniques he would come with more skills if he thinks outside the box that every one in Rune-Midgard things.

The results were visible; his Sonic Dagger as he came to call his variation of the Sonic Blow gained variations because the versatility of holding daggers, the Venom Punch was developing well too. Haruka practiced karate and she trained the monks of the guild with it making them deadlier than before.

Haruka also developed a couple of new spells, but she kept them mostly secret from everyone Benji only learned about them from Makie. Benji also remember blocking the strikes from his enemies with his weapons, while mostly everyone did that Benji managed to block the entire damage of the strikes when the others still took some.

Currently Benji was trying to find a way to use the basic splash damage of the Magnum Break in empty handed strikes and as well changing the element of it, the same went with Bash. "Benji-taisho!" Haruka exclaimed bursting on his office.

While normally entering without knocking Haruka usually had good reasons to enter there without checking it was okay first. "What?" Benji asked resting his pencil on his half filled book. "Recently I have been thinking about how you fight and I recalled few things." Haruka said moving to his desk. "You remember your fight with Dante?"

Benji scratched his hair before answering. "Not really well." Benji answered. "I mean I can't recall the details of it all that well, I mean I was tired and had lost a lot of blood so I wasn't all that attentive to everything."

"You remember the final moments?" Haruka asked seriously, she felt that it was too important for Benji just forget like it wasn't important. "Not really, it is quite blurry." Benji answered after straining his memory. "How you parried his attacks?" Haruka asked.

"Parrying?" Benji replied confused. Haruka let out an exasperate breath. "You remember how you fought when we saved Maria?" Haruka asked pinching the bridge of her nose. "What exactly of that?" Benji asked back, he really couldn't see where the conversation was going to head.

Haruka drags Benji out of his office, she feared that he wouldn't recall so she made Layla wait by the inner yard. Placing Benji in front of Layla Haruka walks away. "Okay Layla as I told you." Haruka said to the silver haired knight, Layla nodded and turned to Benji. "Sorry darling." Layla said in an apologetic tone before bringing down her sword on him.

Benji dodged the strike confused of what is going on, Layla in the other hand was ready for battle equipped with her favorite sword, Two-hand quicken and berserker potion, she was striking hard and fast at Benji. Benji wasn't with his usual equipment so he was really attentive at Layla's movements so he could avoid her strikes.

"What is going on?!" Benji shouted to Haruka and Layla. Layla is focused only on attacking him and doesn't waste a breath answering him. "Since you can't remember what I want you to remember them we have to force your body to remember." Haruka answered from her safe spot in the edges of the room. "I am sure that your body will remember. Quagmire."

Benji feels his feet heavy because the sludge of the spell, Layla strikes and Benji acted before noticing, he couldn't dodge so he lightly slapped the sword off track using the back of his left hand.

Layla let out a surprised yelp as she loses her balance, Benji spins on his heels and hits Layla's chest hard with the heel of his left hand before she could recover from his parry, Layla gasped as the air of her lungs were forcefully expelled from her. She falls two meters back gasping for breath and clutching her hurting chest, the armor took the brunt of the damage yet she felt a lot of pain, Benji knew where and how to hit to inflict pain.

"Layla!" Benji exclaimed when realizing what he had done, he rushes to her side and heals his lover. Layla smiled through the pain. "It is okay…" She said between gasps. "I was waiting…for this…"

"Haruka what in name of hell are you thinking?!" Benji shouted to his other lover. "As I said Benji-taisho." Haruka said moving to him. "Your body remembered and reacted when you were pressed in a situation where you couldn't dodge or move away from the incoming attack, you moved the attack away from you."

Layla nodded agreeing, being in Benji's arms with him holding her tightly made up for the pain on her chest that was already passing. "You used that movement twice with Dante." Haruka said seriously. "You avoided two killing blows with that, and when we rescued Maria you also used it a lot."

Now that he knew what he was looking Benji saw that Haruka was right, he could recall that, he knew what he was doing, if the sword isn't moving fast enough it is only a piece of metal, he recalled reading something like that in the past, the theory was if the slash or stab weren't quick enough it could be easily slapped away from the side.

Benji could almost feel a click as that information falls in place as a piece of a puzzle and he can easily see all the times that he did that, each time being easier than the previous, it started with a blade in his left hand, a mockery of main gauche or whatever the double bladed style of European fencing was named, as his eyes learned to see high speed movements he was able to do it bare handed, slapping away with the back of his left hand so the attack would slide besides his body, simple but painfully effective.

"We all saw you change the path of two attacks that would have landed on you when you faced Dante, by doing that you lasted as long as you did even when your HP was very low." Haruka explained. "When facing those samurai mobs when we rescued Maria you did that again preventing serious wounds and unbalancing them. It is a worth skill to develop and for you train consciously."

Benji had to nod agreeing but again Haruka tricked him and made him hurt Layla. "You aren't getting any for…" Benji stopped in mid sentence. "How much damage you took?" He asked to Layla. "Seventeen hundred and sixty four points." Layla answered. "For eighteen days." Benji finished to the stunned Haruka.

"That isn't fair!" Haruka exclaimed angrily. "I was trying to help!" "You made me hit Layla." Benji replied. "It was just training!" Haruka exclaimed. "Not the force that I used." Benji shot back. "You haven't warned me about this and because I acted in reflex I couldn't hold back."

Haruka whined with tears running down her cheeks, of all Benji's lovers Haruka was the one who often gets disciplined because her actions, after all Haruka more than often end doing something not exactly bad but inconvenient, she knew that Benji was strict with her.

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Maria and Raki are having fun in Lutie with Alexis and Iris escorting and tanking for them. The two older girls smiled as the two girls actually play and run around the dungeon, after all it looked like a toy factory. "You two don't get so far from us!" Alexis called the two children.

"Hai!" the two replied as one as they climb on a pile of sturdy gift boxes. Alexis chuckled as the two have fun. "It has been a while since we had fun too." Isis commented also watching on the two girls. "We joined a WoE guild and trained hard to defend our castle." Alexis commented, it was true that they were so serious about leveling that they haven't much time for have fun, but she also knows that she wouldn't have reached level 99 so quickly if she was by herself. "Besides we also have fun in the guild."

"We do." Isis replied blushing as she remembers the parties fueled by Makie's enthusiasm and music. "And if we find our allies things will be easier for everyone and we will be able to get more time for ourselves and have fun."

The two girls run when hearing Maria and Raki crying, it wasn't a wail, but a cry of pain. They find the two girls facing an Angeling, the mob of Santa porings and poporings hitting them a handful of times, yet the two girls aren't running away but hitting the MVP hard with their bunnies/weapons.

Alexis is drawing her sword and about to jump in. "Isis let go of me!" Alexis shouted while Isis is holding on her arm. "They need help!" "Look at them." Isis said in an unusual firm tone. "They haven't called for help or assistance." "They are just children!" Alexis replied scared of the two being hurt.

"I will heal them." Isis said to Alexis. "But let them fight, look at their eyes, they are serious about killing the Angeling, they would be mad if you interrupted them." Alexis bits her lower lip worried about the two girls, as it happened to most of the girls of the girl Maria and Raki became like everybody's little sisters.

Suddenly the Angeling explodes and so does the summoned slaves, Maria cheered and jumped excitedly with Raki hugging her and jumping too, Maria got the MVP of the event. The two girls laugh excitedly, Alexis clears her throat, and the two girls froze and look back at the two older girls.

"What did we said about staying close?" Alexis scolded. "We are sorry." Both girls said as one. "Are you two crazy?" Alexis continued. "Fighting an MVP all alone like that? Sure you two have hissatsu equips but that doesn't mean that you two can just go out and kill Angelings like that."

The two girls listen to the lecture in silence and with their heads low. "But forget about that." Isis said cheerfully. "You two did great together; killing an Angeling all by yourselves being novices is an impressive feat. Congratulations."

"Isis!" Alexis exclaimed as the two little girls cheer up. "Come on Alexis they did really well and you already scolded them." Isis replied with a smile. "Come on let me heal the two of you." Isis said turning to the two girls. Alexis sighed and throws her hands in the air and walks away few steps before sitting down.

Alexis wasn't really angry about the incident, true she was also very bold when she was a novice and swordswoman, specially after Benji tanked them, but in light of her new experiences and her time as a squad leader in the guild she began to worry more about safety, specially when Tsugumi told her that she was brutally attacked and that Benji arrived in time to prevent her rape.

The weight of that knowledge finally made her understand at least a fraction of what Benji daily deals with, talking with Layla also made Alexis understand more about the value of her friends and companions as well the responsibility of her new position.

Alexis learned what led to the formation of the guild but it was just after Benji departed for his not so successful recruiting letting his subordinated act on their own that she came to truly understand the truth, it was when she was giving a group of girls to level up that she began to realize how serious things was for the twenty five people that originally created the guild, Makie wasn't truly affected by what happened so wasn't really counted on it even thought she was a important person within the guild.

Alexis saw her party mates being killed by MVPs in the past, sure they were all with safety on and the girls just cursed at their luck and laughed later, but Alexis saw them being killed and felt responsible, sure no one was expecting her to kill a Garm by herself, it was hard even to a party of base level 90.

Then there was the whole reputation that her guild gained just because of what Benji did before creating it, she saw him just after that battle, he was dirty, war torn and covered in blood, the perfect image of a demonic assassin that her mother used to terrify her during her not so distant childhood days.

She saw him fighting many times, most of those times he was pressed back by a large number of enemies, yet she never saw fear on his face, he almost looked excited about it, he would hack his way with such an ease that often made Alexis jealous and desiring to be an assassin.

But he wasn't cold and mean as the assassins of the tales of her childhood described them, he was gentle and attentive always helping out other, then there was yesterday's incident in the yard, she couldn't hear well what Atsuko, Layla and Haruka said to him, but he looked different from his usual self.

She couldn't explain her feelings when seeing him like that, the best that she could think is that she as most of the girls of the guild forgot that Benji was just human and that he also felt the same weight if not a much bigger one over his shoulders.

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"Benji!" Maria shouted running to the assassin and she jumping on him, Benji holds the girl as she impacts on his chest. "I seems like you had lots of fun." Benji chuckled lightly; Maria nodded and started to tell him everything that she did.

Raki smiled and walked inside the dinning room, Layla smiles at her sister. "So what you two did today?" Layla asked to her sister. "Played on the Toy Factory." Raki answered. "And killed an Angeling by ourselves!" Maria chimed. "That is amazing." Layla said to them.

She looks at Benji who is holding Maria and lifting her light, he sniffs the little girl's hair. "I am sweaty but I am not stinking!" Maria exclaimed squirming on his grip. "Benji what is wrong?" Layla asked worriedly. "Why you smell like gunpowder?" Benji asked to Maria.

It wasn't an unfamiliar scent for him; he fired a revolver more than few times with his grandfather, so he also made gunpowder for bombs and other traps, so he knew the scent of gunpowder smoke. "Well there were a couple of girls of one of those new jobs there in Lutie." Alexis said recalling the incident. "Maria was very interested on them; I think that they are named gunslingers."

"Why I really don't like that smile?" Isis asked to Layla as Benji smiled still holding Maria as if she was a doll. "That smile usually means that he is up something." Layla commented casually. "So Maria you want to become a gunslinger?" Layla asked to the child. "Hai!" Maria exclaimed with a nod. "You multi-class first then you change to gunslinger." Benji said holding the girl under his left arm as if she was a bag of something. "But I think that I will investigate those guns first."

Layla chuckled at how Benji manhandled Maria with such an ease. "Why that?" Layla asked. "From where I came firearms are the main weaponry used, I by myself have some experience with them." Benji answered. "If I can add them to my usual arsenal I can do some really nasty things."

"You go think on those nasty things." Layla says taking Maria from Benji. "I will take these two to the hot spring." "Okay." Benji replied with a smile. "I think that Makie can help in making the guns better, it is still time to get store open so we will go ask around where we can find some." Layla nodded and sees Benji off.

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Meanwhile Atsuko was back to her still former guild's castle. Since she warned about her visit Helen were waiting with tea ready, as well Aiko and two more female guild members were there too. "Sorry but you know how hard it is too keep things secret here." Helen said with an apologetic smile. "They want to hear what you did in the Silver Moon castle."

Atsuko chuckled, it was home after all, her family and friends, and she knew very well how the girls loved a gossip. "Trust me it is the same there." Atsuko commented cheerfully while sitting in an empty chair. "I am not mad."

"So how that castle looks like from the inside?" Aiko asked curiously. She visited the castle area and the castle was good looking on the outside. "It is beautiful." Atsuko answered as Helen pours the tea for them. "You know Amatsu's dungeon? The one with the tatame mats?"

"Yeah." Aiko replied. "It is similar to that." Atsuko said. "But there aren't many rooms like that, everything is made of polished and lacquered stone, they are painted to look like wood, sliding doors, tatame mats and of course some gorgeous paintings. Don't even get me started on the bath house."

"Bath house?" Laura one of the guild's snipers asked curiously. "It starts with a changing room, in there we undress and leave the clothes, get a towel and there is a refrigerator with cold drinks too." Atsuko explained recalling every detail of the changing room. "And it is huge, I mean eighty one girls bath there daily and there are days that all of them bath together and there is still room for more, I counted one hundred spaces to place the clothes."

"Wow." Aiko gasped sipping the tea. "What else?" "There is the bathing area." Atsuko replied. "And it is at least twice bigger than the changing room, it is divided in two areas, one is the washing area, in there you wash yourself, use shampoo soap, whatever you also use when bathing, then you wash all that away with portable shower heads, pails of water or even one of the many showers there, but they aren't separated in stalls it everything open."

"That sounds really odd." Lynn a lord knight commented eating a cookie from a plateful of them. "I thought the same in the beginning." Atsuko said. "But no one care besides it is just girls there, I think that one of the reasons that they are so tight together is that bath house. Besides the washing area there is the hot spring, it is a huge pool of naturally hot water that surfaces from a underground pocket heated by a volcano or something, at least was that what Haruka explained, anyway after we are clean we soak there for as long as we want, and there is space for all of us and some more to be in comfortably."

"It must be huge." Helen commented impressed. "It is, and above everything it is great." Atsuko said with a smile. "Warms you up to the core and is almost like all your stress, worries, soreness, pain and problems float away from you, and then there is the view."

"View?" The four asked confused. "Yes, the hot spring is located in a higher ground, well the whole castle is, so the hot spring as a view of the valley behind the castle, you can see the pink and white covered mountains and valleys, the pools of darker colors of other flowers and trees, it is breathtaking. And in the night is mystical."

"Now you are making us not only curious but jealous." Aiko commented with a chuckle. "But sounds like a wonderful place to rest." "It is." Atsuko replied. "After a hard day staying there relaxing is the best thing in the world."

"And the people there?" Helen asked; she wanted to know how Atsuko were received by the guild. "They are nice, but I can't say that I befriended everyone, I mean even in here there are people that I know but isn't my friends." Atsuko answered sipping her tea. "Everyone is nice and friendly, but you know how it is in large groups, people tend to drift together because things in common, I ended in the group that is called inner circle."

"What is means?" Aiko asked she also cared a lot about Atsuko; after all she was the one who aided her development with Helen. "The inner circle is more or less like the officials of an army, in Seiryu's legions it means the ones with the responsibility over the other members and the most experienced ones of the bunch, I don't mean solely level but living experiences." Atsuko answered. "For example Benji's second in command Layla, which is also his lover, the second in the line, I am the first there anyway, she is a knight she is a little less than six months younger than me, but she passed through a hell before the guild was formed."

"What you mean?" Helen asked worried. "Originally twenty three of the original guild members were prisoners of the Wasted Years. A twenty fourth were kidnapped in front of Benji which led him to rescue her and destroy the Wasted Years, those women were raped for a very long period of time, bound and chained in beds to be used as sets of holes for the guild members and others that the guild allowed to use for pleasure." Atsuko answered seriously. "The Seiryu's legions original purpose was to give to those women a place to be together and help the other to heal of the mental wounds gained in that time."

"And how it changed from that to a powerful WoE guild?" Lynn asked. "Benji's fame caused that." Atsuko answered. "Because his fame Tomotaka Amatsu's emperor gave him the Silver Moon castle and a six months period to get ready to the WoE, because of that the guild recruited friends of the girls that were members, people who they trust which would not only help them on the WoE but help to heal the wounds of those women. The inner circle was originally composed of girls of the twenty nine members of the original guild not counting Benji."

"So they are the ones who know that won't be expelled or leave the guild." Aiko commented with a nod. "They are also serious about Benji." Atsuko added. "They are fiercely loyal to him."

"And how that Layla who were raped became Benji's lover?" Laura asked. "Time passed, they lived together, she started to see him more than just a leader and idol, one thing led to the other and when she felt that she could accept his touch she gave herself to him." Atsuko answered. "Benji's acceptance of her was everything that she needed to fully recover from her wounds."

"Knowing that a man, one that knows what she have been through, accepted, respected and loved her made her regain her faith in men." Helen said in a level tone. Atsuko nodded agreeing. "Everyone in the guild knows that Benji won't force or order them to anything like that, sure he gives them commands but they are the normal commands of a leader to his subordinates." Atsuko added. "Benji hates and despise rape and kills with a vicious fury a rapist. We all know what happened with the Wasted Years and the Golden Years when they attacked his pet."

"So what happened to that Sohee anyway?" Aiko asked, she wondered about that sometimes. "Tsugumi was beaten up pretty badly." Atsuko answered. "But we arrived just in time to avoid her rape; they tore her clothes just before we entered the room, after that is know history."

The girls nod at the monk's words. "And about him?" Helen asked. "He works hard." Atsuko answered lazily stirring her tea. "He is always working on something on his office, either taking care of the guild's finances or organizing the inventory, he gives items to the members I mean the items that the castle gives, but he only does that based in how hard they work and if the item will be well used."

"We don't want to know about that." Aiko commented flatly. Atsuko chuckled lightly taking great pleasure in stalling that. "Let's just say that more things happen in his office than just guild related work."

Now that made the four adventurers blush madly, sure they are considerably old, still beautiful and young looking thanks to the transcendence, so they are experienced and have knowledge about that area of life, yet as mostly everyone they are bound to a more old fashioned and common way of thinking and acting, the idea of using the office for those acts was shocking.

"If those walls could talk, even better if his desk could tell the tales of all that happened above and under it." Atsuko purred in a low, sultry and smoky voice. "And don't even mention the Emperium… it also saw things in the very same day of the WoE… who would know that while we fought the priestess assigned to guard that room with him kept him 'distracted'…"

Helen choked on her tea, Aiko crushed her fork sending a piece of her vanilla cake to land on her ample bosom, Lynn fell over her back when leaning back too much on the chair, Laura covers her nose trying to stop the flow of blood from her nose. Atsuko laughed at them, true she lied about Benji and Jannine having sex in the Emperium room, but why waste such a good chance to tease them.

Helen dabs her lips with a napkin. "It is clear that you are enjoying you time there." She said with a smile. "So when you will be moving?" "Moving?" Aiko asked confused while wiping the mess from her breasts and cleavage, did she missed something in the conversation?

"I was planning on today." Atsuko answered honestly. "You already know my condition, there are things that I want to do, and places that I want to see before it finally happens, I love every one of you and treasured all my time here." "But is time for you to leave home." Helen said with an understanding nod. "It is kind of sad, but that time arrives to everyone, at least you found the person that you want to expend your live with."

Atsuko nodded confirming. "I know that he is the right one to grant me my immortality." Atsuko said holding her tea cup with both hands. "Never before in my life had I felt that to someone." "Hey what are you two talking about?" Lynn asked confused.

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Einbroch, Benji felt that the air of that city reeked with the scent of smoke and toxins, yet was lightly familiar. "Kind of smells like home." Makie commented recalling the scent of the exhaustions of cars and other type pollution of the air in a large city back on Earth. "But is much worse."

Benji nodded agreeing, he got a large amount of weapons from a store and some merchants, he also bough as many rounds he could carry which isn't little, it was enough for their research, while not fully familiar with the insides of a gun Benji knows enough to replicate the mechanisms of the front of the slide, hammer and firing pin, Makie would be using her own engineering knowledge plus the weapons to create few newer models, adding their knowledge they would have enough to build something after some trials.

Benji liked the feel of the double barreled side by side shotgun that he is so carelessly holding resting the barrel on his right shoulder; it recalled his long destroyed air rifle. "So can you make me anything bolt action?" Benji asked to the dancer.

"Well making a bolt action rifle shouldn't be so hard." Makie commented; the mechanics were pretty simple to replicate. "But the whole issue is ammo, this generic crap that they sell here as cartridges are too faulty, so are the guns."

"They don't have iron sights or any kind of aiming aid." Benji commented more familiar with the external appearance of a pistol. "So aiming is hard, no wonder the guns here lessen your accuracy. We should work on iron sights and barrels, making properly aligned barrels increase the accuracy, and about ammo we can work on something, depending of the powder we can make our own loads."

"We deal with that later." Makie replied. "But you are right, first we deal with aim and the barrel, I think that I can wipe something like a Beretta style, but it might take time to make everything, once I make the prototype I should be able to make molds and we can produce it easier."

Benji nodded. "See with Aline and Melissa, Melissa can forge what you need and Aline can aid since she is an alchemist I am sure that she would like to learn how to make bullets." He said with a smile. "I really don't like this Mauser style. But the revolver isn't all that bad; I think that if we manage to make speed loaders I can use it regularly." "We will work on that too." Makie replied, the idea of dismantling and building something made her content after all she was in the engineering college before she ended in Rune-Midgard.

End of the chapter sixteen:

Author explanation corner:

Unique skills: Training, combat, practice, theoretical development, trial and error, imaging training, I could list everything that could lead to the development of a new technique but would take too long. Based on Rune-Midgard of the game there isn't people who create new skills, everyone thinks inside the box, use the same skill, only having variation on how they level it and the equipment and cards use.

There isn't much of technique involved on it, at least that we can see and since just after you get promoted you get a handful of skills of the chosen class and you level them not even close of the guild, leads to the assumption that there isn't a formal school for the skills.

Sure someone have to have developed the original class skills, but since then the skill have just being passed down, there isn't much of technique to any of the classes especially swordsman and mage classes who by common sense would require lifetimes of training. Anyway anyone with creativity can create new techniques, effectiveness varies because several factors, so does SP cost and casting time.

What I use as way of creating is theory, prior knowledge of similar skill or strike, plain stress and need in heat of the moment, practice and refining. Certain skills can be taught to other, others can't be taught outside a certain class, more details on them later on the story.

Blade deflect AKA Benji slapping a blade away: If the blade isn't moving fast enough it is only a blunt piece of metal from the sides, I don't recall where I red that but the theory is good. The theory is; if the slash or stab weren't quick enough it could be easily slapped away from the side using anything that the person that is using the slap has in hand.

In a world where a person can hit over two hundred if not more times at second with the right build and equip sounds plausible that certain people can do it with the right mindset (read despair).

It is a really, really cheap skill, actually a passive skill if you consider everything, it costs nothing to be activated, the forced deviation of the slash or stab can throw the opponent/target off balance since the momentum is directed to a new direction that the target wasn't with the footing or stance to support, also adding the lack of hit on the target of the slash causes the momentum to continue forward until hitting the ground or limit of the range of the target.

Causes a delay in the target before it can reposition for a new strike giving plenty of time for a well placed counter. The success rate is the attack speed of the user plus dexterity, agility, luck and half of the strength rounded up, equips and other stats bonuses are added to the final result, higher the difference between the sum of the hit of the target and half of the target's attack speed with the difference between the user's final result higher and the target's final result being the chance of success.

Well at least that is what I think that the formula would be in the game if was a usable skill.

Gun customizing: Being called of sociopath by a flamer in the past, not denying my liking for guns as any one of my generation that grew watching action movies with Stallone, Seagal, Van Damme, and many others that I won't name, also being a RPG and video game player, I have certain selection and taste for guns, as well interest as anyone else has.

Anyone who fired a gun or played games like Hitman, Counter strike, Half-life and others, can tell how bad the guns and ammo of RO are, giving the fact that they are starting to develop there it is natural that they suck in both stopping power and accuracy.

Anyway I like my guns accurate and deadly, it makes cheaper that way since you don't waste 700 rounds to kill a guy when a good and old head shot can do it. Bullets cost money that can be used in better stuff. Since I wanted to Makie being something other than just a skimpy dressed party girl/dancer I threw at her a engineering major (not ended yet), but she with help of others with knowledge (being me, I once used the internal works of a semi auto pistol to humiliate my physics teacher when lecturing the third law of Newton, I won't ever forget that face –add maniacal laughter here-).

While the whole thing is damn too complex to anyone other than a person who trained how to build, rebuild and dismantle a pistol can understand everything, not forgetting the designers and everyone else as gunsmiths, the basic mechanics of the slide is simple, guiding rod, return coil, barrel, some sort of force to pull back the slide and the coil return it to the original position, doing so it loads a new round.

The mechanisms on the grip, not only the ones related to the magazine but the coils and other important parts in there are beyond my understanding, but they are already there so Makie can learn how it works, the same goes with the chamber, firing pin, hammer and the whole set of springs, coils and whatever mechanic parts are used there.

Adding everything we can have a reasonably better pistol in terms of looks (read, not Mauser styled), mechanics and accuracy. For the ammo there is why I threw alchemists, I know the recipe of gunpowder by heart, in my boarding school days I made extensive use of it in not so honorable ways (blasting the locker to a fucker that threw chili sauce inside my locker, blowing the mattress of a guy who tried to steal me, and my personal favorite dog crap bomb inside the room of a bunch of guys who tried to steal my personal manga collection, it is all in how tight the bundle is and the quality of the fuse, a cigarette can give two minutes for you to run away and let the shit hit everywhere).

Back to the alchemists, since I don't know if the Rune they use black power (the one that I know how to make) or smokeless power (no idea of how to make) depending of which as well to improve the rounds the alchemists can develop a better powder, the quality of it is in how it burns.

With enough time and trials new guns and ammo can be developed (I am not going to give up until I get a sniper rifle!), and with new guns and ammo that means lusty gunslingers wanting them and that means more income to the guild (and we all know that money is good).

Einbroch's air: City of steel, labs, mines and other things polluting the air so it should have the 'scent' of home for people of a world like ours with an uncountable amount of cars on the streets, factories, and all other kind of things in the air.

WoE expenses: I don't know how much a guild normally expends in a WoE day so I am throwing up a high number to be expended only with consumables.

Tea on Atsuko's old guild: Felt fitting to show Atsuko deciding to stay in Seiryu's legions (make easier to sneak on Benji's room and also 'fall on the rotation' of lovers), the tea and gossip was something that I felt that would happen, no offence intended but girls love a gossip it is a universal truth.

Atsuko's immortality: It is a spoiler so I won't be telling anything now, but I am sure that it will raise questions.


	18. Complications

Hi this is Benji Himura I am starting a new fanfic. I don't own Ragnarok online I also don't own the characters of that story or the plot; taking out the changes that I will make and the characters that I will create. I own Benji Himura and others characters that will show up in the story. It might be violence and sex in the story so if you are underage of seventeen are warned the content might be too improper to your age. Read by your own will and risk. In anyway enjoy the story.

Signed: Benji Himura

"Text" Talked sentences.

'Text' Thoughts.

-Text- Sounds effects.

(Text) Talked sentences in a foreign language

: Text: Messages show in an electronic screen or written.

**Text**: something being recalled, flashbacks, scenes being replayed.

_Text_: a detail found in a location, scene, person, recording and images that originally wasn't there.

Chapter seventeen: Complications

A little more than one week had passed since the War of Emperium; Benji saw that once again his guild fell in a routine. Atsuko left her old guild for good and moved to the Silver Moon castle, Makie was working on the new firearms with Melissa and Aline, Haruka continued her magic research, Alexis, Isis, Erika, Layla, Ami and Jannine take turns in taking care of Maria and Raki when leaving for the dungeons. Still Benji didn't have any more news from Mana and Shina after that only time.

For a change Benji wasn't on his office as he usually did when wanting to think, instead he is in the north watch tower, the one where he first had sex with Layla. He is sitting on the window frame looking at the valley and thinking on what to do, in the past week he were focused in the guild and then on the new guns, but he had two more castles to worry about.

A pair of slender arms snakes around his chest wrapping tightly in a hug. "And why you are sitting here all by yourself?" Atsuko's familiar deep throaty purr of voice tickled his ears, Benji often found hard to believe that such sexy voice belonged to a monk; she could make any conversation sound like an invitation to sin. "Just thinking a little." Benji answered reaching back and caressing his lover.

"About what?" Atsuko asked giving a light kiss on Benji's neck as a reply to his gentle stroking of her hair. "Me." Benji answered. "Lately I haven't done much more than checking things, collecting the items that the castles give and other kinds of desk work. How we are supposed to hold the two castles that we conquered when we barely have enough people to defend this one?"

Atsuko exhaled light, letting her breath wash on his shoulder. "Why we don't trans?" Atsuko asked kissing his cheek lightly. "We both go out together as we used to and seek that Valkyrie? We agreed that we would transcend together."

"But that means exposing the guild to attacks of transcendent guilds." Benji answered. "Sure I want to transcend but if we do that we will have to fight a whole new level of enemies in the WoE."

"Which my beloved are much less in number than you think." Atsuko replied softly. "Most of people who transcend do not care about WoE, there is only ten guilds with more than thirty transcendent members, five of them already have castles, four of the remaining ones are for fun guilds, they focus in MVP killing, exploring, traveling and fighting monsters."

"And that last one?" Benji asked turning around in the embrace and facing Atsuko. "No one really knows their intentions." Atsuko answered honestly. "In some WoE they fight, in others they don't, I guess that they are a for fun guild that now and then want to fight in the WoE, they randomly attacks castles."

Atsuko lightly kisses Benji. "Besides sugar over ninety percent of the guild members are above level 90." Atsuko added purring sweetly. "Just from the ones that share your bed including you there would be five trans. There are also your favorites as Erika describes the ones that you brought in making it a total of eight, you want me to continue the list?"

Benji sighed as Atsuko smiled victorious; she sits straddling his lap and kisses him. "Come on it will be fun." Atsuko whispered. "I also got a hint that the Valkyrie is in Comodo. It is worth checking out." "Fine." Benji exclaimed noisily smacking his hands on Atsuko's shapely behind, it made a loud noise but no pain at all. "Get that tight butt from my lap and get walking let's go to Comodo and see if we can find that Valkyrie."

Atsuko chuckled and stands up lightly swaying her hips and raising her arms in a slow dance. "Come on Benji what about some fun before that?" Atsuko purred swaying sexily and slow as a serpent. "Get moving woman!" Benji exclaimed in mock annoyance once again smacking her butt cheeks with his right hand.

Atsuko squealed cutely covering her derriere with her hands pretending that it hurt. "Get that shapely ass moving or I will throw you on my shoulder and carry you down." Benji ordered with a smile, while the tone was playful he fully intended to fulfill his threat. "That is new." Atsuko commented casually. "I want try it out."

Benji shrugged and leans forward wrapping his left arm around Atsuko's legs, placing his left shoulder on her stomach and then lifting her up in a swift and smooth move, Atsuko yelped surprised and lightly hits on his back, Benji's grip on her legs was gentle but strong, she wouldn't slip from his grip.

"Feels a bit uncomfortable on my stomach but isn't all that bad." Atsuko commented as Benji walks down the stairs. "So where are we stopping?" "My room." Benji answered. "I need to get my equipment after all." "As far as I care you have all the equipment that I want with you all the time." Atsuko chimed. "It is attached to you."

"And monks were supposed to be faithful and dedicated to God." Benji teased. "Owning pure minds and bodies." "They are pure." Atsuko shot back. "Pure love and lust." "Why I am not surprised?" Benji chuckled.

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On his usual assassin outfit Benji walks around Comodo with Atsuko walking next to him. "So how that Valkyrie looks like anyway?" Benji asked to his lover. "Long blonde hair, one blue and one red eye and with some odd green headgear." Atsuko answered. "At least is that what the rumor says. She supposedly hides her true form but can be always recognized by those traits that never change. Some also say that the back of her top has four wings draw on it as signaling where here wings are."

Benji nodded understanding, but of course looking for someone like that would be hard especially since Comodo is always filled with people. "And what else you know about this Valkyrie, like how it changes and things like that?" Benji asked, Atsuko haven't really explained that to him.

"I was told that she gives a combat trial and depending of what she feels from you she will change you to a transcendent class." Atsuko answered. "You are worried?" "Not worried." Benji replied. "But more in the line of anxious, I didn't heard much about that, but again isn't like my knowledge of Rune is all that vast."

"Just trust on my word hun." Atsuko said with a smile while keeping her right arm laced around his left arm, softly pressing it against her breast and hugging it. "I heard those from reliable sources." "If you say so then I have no choice but to believe in you." Benji replied smiling back, he does trust on Atsuko.

The couple looks around the city in a mix of leisure and fast pace, they had finally cornered the Valkyrie, who had run when identified, Atsuko was about to start a fight when Benji held her. "We have to go." Benji said seriously. "But we found her!" Atsuko exclaimed surprised.

"Layla, Maria, Raki and the others are in danger." Benji said casting a warp portal. "They were in Payon when a Doppelganger appeared, now they are holding back against a doppel and a Moonlight Flower and a Cat o' Nine Tails, they can't hold much longer against three MVPs of that level just with Layla, Erika, Isis, Haruka, Ami and Alexis."

"You are better not run!" Atsuko shouted to the Valkyrie. "I will be waiting in Alberta." The Valkyrie said to them, she was curious about them who would willingly let go of her just after twenty minutes chasing her just to save their friends. "You are better be!" Atsuko said before entering on the portal.

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Entering on the dungeon weren't easy, because the MVPs many adventurers were killed and sent back to the entrance, out of fear most of the adventurers especially the lower level ones panicked and rushed out of the dungeon, once inside it was easy once reaching the second floor, the main gush were in the first and the outside of the cave.

Benji and Atsuko doesn't waste time facing the monsters, they just ignore them as they run inside the halls, it felt odd finding the dungeon so empty but they didn't stop to care about it.

In the fourth level they followed the sound of battle, buffing themselves Benji and Atsuko finds he MVPs beating on a large group of ice walls, Haruka was frantically casting them between them and the monsters with no time to cast any kind of offensive spell since the three monsters break the wall just a little slower than she can cast them.

"Hissatsu!" Benji shouted casting one of his techniques. "Break shot!" Benji punches a golf sized solid energy ball that impacts on the Doppelganger's back. Atsuko hits the Moonlight Flower and connects one strike after the other in a combo.

Alexis, Ami, Erika and Layla leave the protection of the ice barrier when the Cat o' Nine Tails breaks it. Benji sees the Doppelganger shifting its appearance, the clothes remained the same but the monster now looks like him. Benji doesn't really care and continues to strike the creature.

But Benji had to fight hard from his ground the monster was fast and strong, Benji could barely dodge and avoid eighty percent of the attacks, but the creature was taking ninety percent of his, but the creature still doesn't die. The girls are also struggling with their MVPs, Haruka and Isis supporting them the best that they can.

All that Benji needed was one instant, just a brief pause to activate his stopwatch function giving all the accumulate boost and bonuses that it has, but the Doppelganger keeps pressing on the attack. Maria trying to help throws her bunny at the monster, while hitting it doesn't stun it or push it back.

Benji dashes and pushes the girl away from a incoming attack as the monster changed its target, Benji barely felt the sword slicing off his right arm, blood gushes out as if had exploded as the monster strikes several more times cutting Benji's arm in small pieces, yet his watch and items return to the inventory.

Benji presses his left hand on his bleeding shoulder, almost not hearing the shouts of the girls and the spell that Haruka cast forcing the monster back. Benji grabs his dagger and advances at the monster while shouting to the girls to not stop attacking the monsters.

The pain wasn't as strong as Benji expected, he knew that later it would hurt like hell, but in the moment he was pumped with hormones and the cut was neat and clean later the pain would catch up. Benji buries his dagger on the monster nailing it on the stone wall behind it; he pulls another dagger and does the same with the left arm of the monster.

Pulling another dagger Benji cuts off the Doppelganger's right arm in the exact same height as his was cut. "Isis heal me now." Benji shouted pressing the exposed flesh of the arm against his still bleeding shoulder, if the Doppelganger was everything that the legends said then his body would accept the arm.

Isis does so while very shocked with everything. Benji hisses in pain, the veins of the arm and his shoulder bulge and surface, blood falls from the cuts in large crimson drops, but Benji could only feel pain, lots of pain as painfully slowly muscle, bone, tendons, nerves, veins, arteries are weld together.

The pain was intense, bigger than anything that he felt before, Benji was unable to hold his screams of pain as nerve endings connect together, the monster's blood starts to mix with his, and Benji's life pulsing on the demonic flesh of the arm, it was a insane idea doing that, but Benji ate demon's flesh and drank demon's blood, he felt that infusing demonic flesh on his would work.

Alexis and Layla continue to focus their attacks on the Moonlight Flower aiding Atsuko, soon it is over and the monster is dead, Ami and Erika had finished the Cat o' Nine Tails. "Benji!" Layla exclaimed turning to him. "I am fine." Benji said in a pained voice. "But I have been better."

Benji is drinking a white potion while Isis continues to heal him, this time focusing on his right arm. "Just finish the one over there and let's get out of here." Benji said to them. "But your arm." Maria murmured. "I got a new one see?" Benji replied moving his new right hand. "Just like the other one."

"I don't really agree with the wisdom of that but I guess that there isn't anything for us to do now." Atsuko commented moving to the Doppelganger, she was going to make the creature seriously regret cutting Benji's arm. Layla moves to it too to aid Atsuko on the punishment.

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Back in the Silver Moon castle Erika is carefully looking at Benji's right shoulder, the junction of his shoulder and the former Doppelganger's right arm is visible by first a thin line of darkened skin dividing the lighter skin of the demonic arm and Benji's tanned skin.

"Well if I didn't saw I wouldn't say that isn't his arm." Erika said after feeling, poking examining and moving the arm. "It is almost like it was always there, the way that be moves it and use it is totally natural, there isn't any harmful effects."

"I guess that the amorphous nature of the Doppelganger reflects in how Benji's body accepted the arm." Makie commented, she heard everything and thought about it while Benji was examined. "Since the Doppelganger shifted to look like Benji the arm has the same characteristics than his."

"What were you thinking?" Atsuko angrily asked to his lover. "I wasn't really thinking." Benji answered. "Sounded like a good idea at the time." Atsuko sighed crossing her arms over her breasts. "Come on girls back me up here that idea was stupid."

"I believe that is better than him losing his right arm and be left crippled." Layla said to the blonde. "While I as well any of us wouldn't care about it, the loss of his arm would have cost much not only to him but to the entire guild. Besides it is his arm now." "I guess that I have to agree with that one." Alexis said to Atsuko. "We should be happy that even after this he is back in one piece."

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Makie pulled Benji to the side and took him to the only place where no one would look for him, on the Emperium room. "Look Benji while I know that you are working hard and everything I want to talk to you about few things with out your lovers around." Makie said seriously.

Benji nodded in silence. "So what is that you want to tell me?" Benji asked. "How much damage you took since you arrived here?" Makie asked seriously. "I am sure that you don't know how much but let me tell you this, in less that one year here in Rune you took more damage than I took in four years."

Benji remained in silence it was true after all. "I had no idea that you had that many scars on you." Makie continued. "But think a little Benji the amount of abuse that you are taking isn't normal, sure we are in a different world and everything but you took more enough damage on yourself that would kill an army in our world, don't even get me started on the whole arm thing. This isn't natural Benji, this can't be something good."

"And you think that this is natural Makie?" Benji asked stretching his arms and moving to the side lightly gesturing their surroundings. "Finding ourselves in a different world without an explanation, feeling when someone else from Earth arrive when we are near? Or better than that our own belongings things that are common and cheap back home are items of nearly infinite power in this place?"

"I know that nothing of this is natural Benji but the kind of thing that you are doing is even worse." Makie replied. "I don't blame you for the relationship with Layla and the others, I saw that in the past and I can tell that you do love them all, I can ignore that kind of thing, but what you think that will happen if we return home?"

"You said yourself that you are here for four years." Benji said seriously. "Sure being cautious is great but let's be honest our chances of going back home are none to zero because we have no idea of how we got here, trust me Makie I thought hard on that too, how you think that Layla managed to have sex with me? I was feeling lonely thinking on my family and my home, you know I just decided to let go of those worries. I have plenty of them without adding making theories of what might happen when or if we go back to our world, I will live this life, I have four beautiful women who love me and I love them back, I have a solid reputation and reliable friends here."

"So you don't want to go back?" Makie asked seriously. "Initially I wanted." Benji answered. "Trust me Makie when I was dying under the sun of the Sograt desert all that I wanted other than water was go back home, then I met Mana and Shina, they helped me, they became my friends and supported me. With them I saw that being in this world isn't all that bad, sure WoE sucks big time, but there are good things. I have Tsugumi and Ruri; I love those two annoying and attention demanding girls. And there is the guild, our friends Makie, our family in this land."

"I like here too but I have family back on Earth!" Makie shouted. "I am here for four years seven months and twenty six days! I don't know what happened to my mother, my little brother or my sister! I had a fiancée who I love a lot but now I can barely recall his face! Sure I had fun here but I am sick of this Benji! I am sick of this dangerous and insane world! I miss my friends! I miss my family! Fuck I even miss my teachers who I hate!"

"And you think that I don't miss my family and my friends?" Benji asked to the archer. "It is hard but I found people who are here for me, people that I love and care about, not only Atsuko and my lovers, I care about you and everyone else in the guild, sure I won't recall the name of everyone in this guild, not even the job but I am only a man, you think that if we ever go home how it will hurt leaving everyone behind?"

Makie remained in silence; while still angry she knew that he also felt the same thing. "And how you do this?" She asked crying. "Why you love those girls knowing that maybe in this next minute you might return and leave them behind?" "I love them, what I decided was enjoy this happiness as you said it might end abruptly, I don't want regrets." Benji answered seriously. "That is my decision, I will live a full life here, I will fight hard, love even harder my lovers because as you said three of them will be here and the fourth will be halfway across the globe, that if we end back on Earth."

End of the chapter seventeen:

Author explanation corner:

Valkyrie and transcendency: In some servers, mostly private servers there are NPCs called job changers, they change a character's job and you don't need to do the job quest to change to the desired class.

You can change from any class as a novice and in the first job in any branch that you select as for example a swordsman can change to knight or crusader to later change to either lord knight or paladin.

Since transcendency is something involving rebirth I felt that would be fitting to have a Valkyrie being the changer to the transcend classes, after all Valkyries are the chooser of the slain in Nordic mythology.

The whole moving and chasing thing was just to make harder to transcend, like when you are new in a game or server and doesn't know where you can find the NPCs or shops.

Doppelganger's arm implantation: I won't explain the legend of doppelganger, it is a German legend, it goes that when you meet your doppelganger you die; or the doppelganger is seen in a place and you weren't there, do a goggle search for more details. Anyway in the Ragnarok anime the Doppelganger changed its appearance to look like the red headed swordsman, in the game it looks like a blonde swordsman, but it felt more fitting if it changes its appearance based on the person that it is attacking.

Now to the assimilation of the arm, based on the legend of doppelganger being double of a person and its amorphous nature (it shifts forms and doubles any person) it would make a good donor for transplants (at least in the theory).

With the aid of high level healing it should be possible to 'heal' the freshly severed arm to a also freshly severed shoulder, mind shattering pain is the result of the tissue fusing together. Side effects to be revealed.

Doppelganger in Payon: He was on vacation. Okay jokes apart the reason is simple dead branch, a careless adventurer broke a branch and couldn't deal with the powerful summon, or it could be on purpose too. The other MVPs live in Payon.


	19. Attack force

Hi this is Benji Himura I am starting a new fanfic. I don't own Ragnarok online I also don't own the characters of that story or the plot; taking out the changes that I will make and the characters that I will create. I own Benji Himura and others characters that will show up in the story. It might be violence and sex in the story so if you are underage of seventeen are warned the content might be too improper to your age. Read by your own will and risk. In anyway enjoy the story.

Signed: Benji Himura

"Text" Talked sentences.

'Text' Thoughts.

-Text- Sounds effects.

(Text) Talked sentences in a foreign language

: Text: Messages show in an electronic screen or written.

**Text**: something being recalled, flashbacks, scenes being replayed.

_Text_: a detail found in a location, scene, person, recording and images that originally wasn't there.

Chapter eighteen: Attack force

Atsuko let out a long sigh, she wanted to be alone with Benji when they transcended, but Layla went with them, the silver haired knight wanted to transcend too and would do it at the same time that Benji did. While friendly with the knight Atsuko wanted privacy, besides Maria and Raki were following them too.

The party is in Alberta; they are once again seeking for the Valkyrie, while with more pairs of eyes searching for her Alberta is a large merchant town finding someone there was even harder than in Comodo. Maria was still a bit downcast because what happened in the previous day, she felt that was her fault that Benji got hurt. Benji reassured her that everything was fine but it wasn't easy to cheer her.

Atsuko locates the Valkyrie and runs at her direction. "You aren't running this time?" Atsuko asked confused. "You two aroused my curiosity." She answered casually, and then she turns to Benji and eyes him carefully. "You reek like a demon." She hissed looking at the assassin. "No it is even worse than a demon."

"I don't know who you are but I am not going to accept you badmouthing him." Layla hissed pulling her sword. "Layla." Benji said in a gentle tone, the knight glared at the Valkyrie but sheathes her sword.

"How many fell because your blades?" The Valkyrie asked. "Never really cared to count." Benji answered. "Far too many." "And not only monsters, humans too." The Valkyrie continued. "There isn't much of a difference for you." "When humans behave like monsters they should be treated as monsters." Benji replied. "Fair enough." The Valkyrie said. "Follow me." Benji nodded and walks behind the Valkyrie, the others do the same thing.

They move to a more deserted area of the city, an empty part of the harbor. The Valkyrie summons a long spear and her battle armor. "Now let's see as if you said you are still human." She said attacking Benji with a vicious and swift swing of her spear. Benji blocked with his daggers, he can feel the holiness of the spear it rolled out from it as a wave.

Layla wanted to jump into action but felt unable to do so, she could move but was unable to attack and as the others is forced to watch the combat. Atsuko knew that it was going to happen; the Valkyrie's trial was a combat trial, still it doesn't make any easier seeing her lover pressed back by the ageless young woman.

Benji focused on the Valkyrie, her appearance was painfully misleading hiding an absurd amount of strength in such small and slender body; then again Benji recalled that in anime RPG and anime unbelievable amounts of power always came in cute and cuddly receptacles. And Benji saw that unlike most of the fighters in that world the Valkyrie was backed up by a technique polished by countless years of fighting.

Benji once again dodged the odd cross and circle spear of the Valkyrie, the weapon was ridiculously shaped in the head but the Valkyrie maneuvered it with ease, skill and practice. Benji throws a pair of venom knives on the Valkyrie while getting some distance from her as she removes the poison soaked knives from her thighs.

Benji pulls the cast spear that he had it made on the guild, it is as tall as he is, the head is composed of three blades, two smaller side curved blades attached to the main blade by one connection two inches bellow the upper tip, almost resembling wings in the center a double edged blade longer than the two others, the staff was made of a dark blue almost black metal and instead of a normal ferrule there was a sharp pyramidal ferrule.

Pointing the three blades at the Valkyrie Benji shouted. "Lightning shot!" Instantly a ball of energy is launched as a beam of concentrate and almost solid electricity and hits the Valkyrie dead on the chest. Benji draws the sword that Haruka gave him, now fully repaired and brings down on the Valkyrie as hard as he can.

Benji feels the edge impacting against her seemingly light armor, Benji kicks her hard in the gut before striking her again with the sword, he managed to get an opening thanks to the technique that he developed within the guild and not matters how knowledgeable the Valkyrie is about normal skills she doesn't know those unique and personal ones.

Using everything that he has Benji slashes the Valkyrie once again, this time only to meet some sort of magical barrier as his world turns white. "Impressive." The Valkyrie murmured as her immortal body quickly repairs the damage taken. "It has been ages since someone developed something new."

Layla charged at the Valkyrie, now able to attack the silver haired knight brings down her sword on the smaller girl with an unspeakable fury. The Valkyrie blocked the attack but winced feeling the massive impact reverberating on her bones. Mad with fury and using all her skills Layla attacks hard ignoring the dents that appear on her sword, all that she cares about is beating the Valkyrie and bringing Benji back no matter what.

While furiously attacking Layla was still aware of her actions and her opponent but she isn't as agile as Benji and can't avoid as many attacks as he can, however she is by far more resilient than he is. Using the techniques that she trained in the guild and developed with the aid of Benji, Haruka and Makie, Layla attacks swiftly and hard at the Valkyrie not only with the sword but strong kicks and punches.

Holding the sword on her left hand Layla gets her favorite spear and drives on the Valkyrie's stomach, she slashes upwards with her left arm hitting the blonde deity on her right side, the Valkyrie hold on the two weapons. Layla recalling a similar training gives a powerful forward kick on the Valkyries left knee smashing the joint and forcing the knee to bend on the wrong side.

Layla smiled as the Valkyrie stumbled, but her grip was still strong on the weapons, letting go of the sword the Valkyrie draws a knife and slashes upwards hitting Layla's face and damaging her beret as well making her silver hair quickly turn crimson. Layla's pupils shrink in rage as she pulls hard on the spear tearing from the Valkyrie; she smashes down hard the weapons on the blonde battle maiden.

The Valkyrie feels the even stronger impacts and sideways stabs Layla, however Layla held the blade with her hand, gasping Layla holds on the blood soaked blade, the broad blade pierced her gauntlet clad hand and her neck severing the artery, her blood gushes as the Valkyrie withdraw the edge.

Feeling her knees weakening under her Layla gasped with blood tickling her throat, yet she tries to stab the Valkyrie once again with her spear, this time she meets the same barrier as Benji did and vanishes on the air as her world blanks out.

Atsuko takes a deep breath and advances towards the once again fully healed Valkyrie, however instead of casting the area protection spell for the battle the Valkyrie asked. "You are really sure that you want to transcend in your situation?" Atsuko was surprised but not really stunned. "It will halve your remaining life expectancy in exchange of the new beginning."

"I am sure of this." Atsuko answered with her left hand clutching her rosary and her right over her left breast. "This is what I want, transcend with the man that I love." "Then I will grant your wish." The Valkyrie replied instants before Atsuko vanishes in the air.

Both Maria and Raki stared at the winged woman and ready their weapons. "They aren't dead or hurt." The Valkyrie said to them. "They are just passing by a process that they sought by themselves. Soon they will be back." Then she notices the equipment of the duo and smiled. "I see, this explains much. So little ones you two want to change classes?"

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Ami bursts in inside Benji's office startling Alexis, Erika and Haruka who were working on the guild's inventory books. "Where is Benji?!" Ami shouted with her voice shaking in despair, worry and fear.

"He is out with Layla, Atsuko and Raki; they thought that sightseeing would cheer up Maria after yesterday's incident." Haruka answered, she only hasn't followed them since it was her scheduled day of doing guild work. "But why you entered like this you usually knock first."

"My sister is in trouble!" Ami exclaimed. "She said that she can't reach Benji, I can't either I am getting some odd reply telling that he isn't available!" Haruka frowned and tried sending a message herself, while not knowing the entire extension of Benji's relationship with Shina she knows enough that it was a close bond since Shina trusted her sister to him.

"I can't get anything." Haruka said opening her eyes annoyed. "Me neither." Alexis commented. "I can't get in touch with Layla either." Erika said seriously. "We have to do something, my sister needs help and wanted to ask for his help and from our guild." Ami said in verge of tears.

"What Benji-taisho would do…?" Haruka murmured. "Erika gather the girls." Alexis said seriously. "Look I know him well enough to know that if Mana and Shina asked for help he would go down to the very pits of hell to aid them. Then get the girls ready to deploy we will go help and hopefully we can get in touch with them while we are helping Ami's sister."

"Sure thing." Erika replied running out of the room, she also knew that much about him too. "Ami where is your sister?" Alexis asked to the younger knight. "Al de Baran." Ami answered. "More precisely in Neuschwanstein, she is a captain of the White Eyes guild."

Alexis stared in shock, she never guessed that Benji had friends in such famous guilds; much less that Ami was related to one of the most famous crusaders of the present. But it also explained why Benji were so well equipped and multi-classed. "And you never told us anything about that?" Alexis asked seriously.

"My sister told me to not tell to anyone." Ami answered meekly. "Benji already knew my sister." "And her guild?" Haruka asked. "That he doesn't know." Ami replied. "I don't know why my sister didn't told him and asked me to not tell him, but she is asking for his and our help."

Alexis sighed. "I know him enough to know that he would help no matter what." She muttered. "Gear up Haruka we will be going to aid Ami's sister and pray that we manage to get in touch with him; we will need his help as well from the others." Haruka nodded not really willing to help but leaves.

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Alexis wasn't expecting such terrifying sight, more adventurers than she cared to could were charging on the castle controlled by the White Eyes guild, the defenders were doing their best to hold the castle but it wasn't a WoE day, it was an invasion made by adventurers driven by rage who removed their safeties for the sake of revenge.

'How he does this?' Alexis asked to herself as fear fills her being. 'How he can charge against the enemy like that, against such oppressing odds?' Erika can see that everyone is nervous, there was only a total of four allied guilds of the White Eyes side and that counting both the White Eyes and the Seiryu's legions, and there was at least sixty attacking guilds. 'It won't be easy.' Erika thought at the sea of attackers clashing against a wall of defenders.

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Maria is about to attack the silent Valkyrie, she can't believe on her words after what she saw the Valkyrie doing. Suddenly three magic circles appear around the Valkyrie, each circle of a different color.

One was a dark lightning blue color, the other silver and the last violet colored. From the pillars of light of the same color of the circle appears, first thin and then broadening until it fills the circle.

As if lifted from the ground by the light Benji appears in the middle of the blue circle, his eyes are closed and his clothes as well his appearance is different. His clothes are still in the same metallic dark blue highlighted black shade, his shoes are now boots of the same shade of his clothes covered by a dark blue metal armor, the ribbon like fabric on his calves and shins were removed, on his waist two metal protections on each side holding what could be seem as the lower half of a coat, the shirt was in the same color of everything else, the ribbons over his torso are gone replaced by what appears to be a simple black cloth and metal armor, a short jacket covering his shoulders, on his arms two light and layered metal protections on his forearms extending to his hands, lastly were his cat ears and the addition of a similar tail on his waist. Benji opens his eyes, they are lightly unfocused and his expression isn't displaying any kind of emotion.

Layla's clothes are similar than Benji's but instead of simple pants she was with a mini skirt and what appears to be pantyhose replacing it, her once heavy armor replaced by a light clothe armor with some metal protections on her arms, waist and legs. Atsuko was wearing regular champion clothes but with the addition of metal protections on her waist, legs, arms and chest.

Then their clothes change to their regular outfits. "Your transcendency ended." The Valkyrie said to the trio. "Your bodies were rejuvenated, from now on you will age ten times slower than non-transcended people, and you all can become much stronger."

"It is possible for me to multi-class?" Layla asked happy in seeing Benji unhurt. "You are a lord knight now." The Valkyrie answered. "Unless there was a sacrifice from someone else you can't gain a class change."

"Any class sacrificed can become another for her?" Benji asked seriously. "Yes." The Valkyrie answered. "Then I sacrifice my merchant class." Benji said. "Give to Layla the class that she wants." "Goshujin-sama!" Layla exclaimed surprised, she doesn't want to steal the effort that he made.

"What class you desire silver knight?" The Valkyrie asked. "You will gain all the experience and skills of that class." "Take it Layla." Benji said looking at his silver haired lover. Layla nodded while crying. "Thief class." Layla hiccupped. The Valkyrie nodded taking the experience from Benji and giving to Layla.

"I am sorry." Layla said to him. "Don't be." Benji replied with a smile. "It means that you now will be able to avoid being hurt. It is okay by me." "So what happens now?" Atsuko asked to the Valkyrie. "Is up to you." she answered. "Soon you will notice few more changes."

She makes a pause and pulls something from her pocket. "I gave to the three of you this special rune; it allows you to locate me." She explained. "Since you are in high positions in your guild I believe that is fit that I trial all the other members when the time comes, call me and I will change them in the right time."

She turns to Benji. "And I am interested in changing the jobs of the young ones over there." She said pointing to Maria and Raki. "If you can multi-class them too I don't mind if is that what they want." Benji replied. "I can do that too." She commented. "But that has to wait." Benji said seriously finally getting a message. "Girls our guild is in trouble and we need to go help them and my friends."

Atsuko and Layla nodded, they are fully recovered and ready to battle. "We will be seeing each other again." The Valkyrie said before teleporting away. Benji sighed and they move to the nearest Kafra.

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Mana continued to mercilessly cutting and killing the enemies of her guild, she could also see the brand of Benji's guild but she couldn't see him anywhere, but since there is a horde of attackers between the two groups she also felt that was natural. The help was very welcomed by the defenders and the White Eyes and their allies could see the fierceness of the Seiryu's legions first handed.

Alexis was frightened but tried hard to not let anyone see that and was doing a good job doing so. They focused on a simple strategy of charging head on against the back of the enemy forces, the melee fighters protecting the casters in an offensive variation of the inner and outers strategy.

Once the enemy saw the new attackers the girls of the Seiryu's legions closed the ranks and continued to attack, with the attention divided in two flanks the attackers can't focus on any of the sides giving to them better chances.

The arrival of Benji's group to the area wasn't noticed however the charge that they made, at least Benji, Layla and Atsuko is felt when they impact in a different side of the crowd. The shrieks of the ones mauled by Benji's swords surpasses the sounds of battle just enough to everyone notice the new arrivals.

Seeing their leader the morale of the girls of the Seiryu's legions rise and so did their offensive. Mana couldn't help on smiling seeing him, he was slashing and crippling with ease and grace.

Layla followed closed distributing death upon those who her sword could reach, striking hard and swiftly, the edge just a silver blur of motion. Atsuko closed the line tearing the insides of her targets with her strikes.

Benji, Layla and Atsuko distance themselves from the other as they take different paths inside the mass of enemies. Benji slashes diagonally aiming at the knees, legs and arms of the enemies ahead of him, each slash causes at least two legs or arms to be severed, the massive pain and blood loss is enough to make his victims to stop fighting, not adding the loss of limbs. Benji also aims at the necks of his enemies, his intention was solely to kill as fast as he can and he was killing really fast.

Haruka smiled and spins her staff before resting it over her right shoulder and holding it as a rocket launcher. "Clear the path!" Haruka shouted to her companions kneeling on the ground. Already knowing what is coming the girls complied quickly. "Hissatsu!" Haruka shouted, a magic circle appears in the front of the staff moving clockwise. "Alabaster Demon Fire!"

A massive burst of energy leaves the circle hitting dead on the attackers in front of Haruka killing them as well every other attacker until the powerful beam of energy hits the outer wall of the castle. A massive trench appeared on the battlefield, the attacking army was split in two and the ground was scorched and exposed beneath the path of the attack.

Haruka smiled pleased before drinking a blue potion, the outer wall of girls closed around them once again Shina whistled impressed at the attack. Mana was almost stunned with the attack, sure she knew that sorcery was impressive but that attack was above everything that she saw and she saw a lot.

Using the surprise of the enemy the Seiryu's legions continue to inflict losses on the attackers, the White Eyes and their allies do the same. The morale of the attackers was bellow the ground; they were failing and failing hard, the losses where above the hundreds. From the eight hundred people that started the battle less than four hundred remained alive and that number was lessening at each passing moment.

Shina brings her sword down against one blacksmith, easily breaking the armor and slashing bones, blood jets in the air as she parries an attack with her shield. "Sister!" Ami shouted driving her spear on the offending knight. "Nice timing." Shina said with a smile. "It seems that your time with Benji paid up really well."

"I really don't know why you still do this." Ami shouted blocking an axe strike with her sword. "You get used to it!" Shina exclaimed driving the sharp tip of her shield against the face of the blacksmith that attacked Ami.

Mana laughed seeing the two sisters together. "Isn't that cute two sisters working together so fine?" Mana teased while killing a priest. "I won't dignify that with a reply!" Shina shot back. "HOLY MOTHER OF GOD!!!" Shina shouted when seeing the massive damage that Benji and Atsuko caused by themselves in a compact formation of knights.

"Damn those two move really well together!" Mana exclaimed seeing how fast the assassin and monk are delivering death together. "It is all registering as a single combo!" Benji and Atsuko are hitting a particular sturdy VIT knight together, their timing so perfectly tunned that they link one attack next to the other.

"Soul…Guillotine…" Benji and Atsuko cast at the same time. "…Breaker! …Fist!" A bloody mass of torn flesh sprays on the fighters bellow the former and now dead knight. "That has to have packed over ninety thousand damage all by itself…" Mana commented too surprised with the combo to realize that Benji used a sinx skill and not an assassin skill.

Benji advances towards the stunned pack of knights and attacks them with nearly mad fury. "Seiryu is a sinx!" An adventurer howled in fright after Benji killed several of his companions with a meteor strike. Benji grinned and continued his task of slaughtering everyone who wasn't of his guild or from the White Eyes.

Then it ended, the attackers gave up seeing that if it continued any longer they would die at the hands of the White Eyes and their allies. The sound of several teleportations signals the victory of the defending forces. Benji raise his right hand still holding his bloodied sword high and gave a cry of victory, a cry that is mirrored by everyone.

"But he is clad on assassin's clothes." Ami stuttered pointing at her guild leader. "Since when taisho was a normal anything?" Karen pointed out to the young knight. "Point taken." Ami replied with a nod. "And if you paid enough attention you would have noticed that Layla is a lord knight and Atsuko a champion." Karen added. "Somehow they transcended and haven't lost their levels."

"Valkyrie." Mana and Shina said nodding as one. "You two expend too much time together." Benji commented. "You two act as one a lot." "Then this…" Shina started while sheathing her sword. "Will be perfectly timed as well." Mana finished before the two of them pounce on the now assassin cross.

"So that is your sister?" Alexis asked looking at the bloodied black with red highlighted hair crusader who is busy kissing Benji along an assassin. "I don't see much of a resemblance." "According to our mother she took most of her looks from our father." Ami commented.

"And who is the red haired assassin?" Marine asked while Benji squirms under their combined weight, it wasn't like they were too heavy or he didn't liked the kisses but their armors was really poking hard on soft points of his anatomy. "That is Mana." Cleo answered to the wizard. "And after nearly one year locked up in the guild no wonder they are so frisky."

"Well they have to go through at least four more women if they want bed him." Marine commented casually. "They have seniority on him." Cleo commented. "After all they are his godmothers." Ami nodded also not liked of the idea but then she knows better than going against her sister, so as most of the girls she ignores Benji's words and orders to let go.

"That was yummy." Mana commented wiping her lips with the back of her right hand as she stands up. Shina was also standing up. "She is my sister but we are very different." Ami said to Alexis. "Why I remember seeing this before…" Benji muttered while standing up, his face and neck all smeared with dark red and light pink lipstick.

"Oh crap…" Benji exclaimed recalling very well when that happened before. "Hey you wait…!" Atsuko, Layla, Haruka and Erika pounces on him as one, repeating the display from the assassin and the crusader, in a personal display of affection, jealousy and possessiveness.

"You know taisho might not live long with that many women on his bed." Leona commented to Karen. "I am sure that he can deal with ten to twenty women on his bed." Karen replied playfully. Benji's hand squirms under the pile of women while the others casually chat about things.

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"I thought that I was going to die." Benji commented few minutes later while wiping his face clean of six different colors of lipstick. "Again!" "It is the price of the fame." Mana replied casually, Shina nodded agreeing. "Still I am impressed you not only made a successful WoE guild but have four women on your bed and transcended before I did."

"Why you two haven't contacted me earlier?" Benji asked seriously. "I could have come and helped." "Our leader didn't want to bring outside help to the siege." Shina answered. "We were allowed to call you now because this was an all out war and not WoE, she didn't want to risk our lives needlessly and since you and your girls already have experience…"

"Since some of us are already trained and seasoned killers it was okay to call for help now." Benji finished with a long sigh. "Sure I killed more than I care to count and my name is becoming the synonym of death lately." "Which makes me very proud." Mana commented. "As an assassin I can't tell how much warms my heart to see you a full fledged mass murderer."

"Why I really don't feel happy about the way that you put it?" Benji asked in a flat tone. "She really could have worded that better." Shina commented. "But she means that as a compliment, even thought it doesn't sounds like one." "Besides now that this is over we can relax again." Mana commented stretching out her legs and arms.

"Unlike you I have more worries than that." Benji replied; everyone was inside the Neuschwanstein resting, luckily among the defenders and the Seiryu's legions there wasn't any casualties. "I have three castles and not enough people to a comfortable WoE battle in any of them." Benji added with a sigh.

"Actually we wanted to talk about that." Shina said seriously. "One of our allies is interested in getting a castle from you, not the Silver Moon since we can tell that you won't part from it. They are willing to pay really well for it; that solves part of the problem?"

"It does but we are talking about a fully functional WoE castle that effectively gives a good amount of money with the items that it spawns, it isn't something cheap." Benji replied seriously, he has a pretty good idea of how much a WoE cost to be made that not counting the value of the rare items that it is gained in those.

"Now changing to something lighter." Mana cheerfully said clapping her hands. "I am happy to seeing you with those ears." Benji looked up recalling that he still is wearing the black cat ears shaped Kaho's. "We also loved the hats that you gave us." Mana commented pulling her bunny beret from her inventory and putting it on.

"You gave to them too?!" Layla asked surprised and jealous, it was her hat made by her lover. "We gave to Benji lots of things it is only natural that he wanted to reciprocate it." Mana commented casually, she couldn't get enough of those bouncy bunny ears. "I gave him his cat ears."

"His Sakkat before that, his first set of armor, arms, items and cards too." Shina added. "True we never expected Benji to get this strong this fast but now we can easily party sharing experience." Shina recalled his first reaction when offered to party with them.

Benji sighed inwardly, it was clear that Layla was overly jealous of Mana, not to mention the fact that Layla was overly jealous of every female that is more friendly towards Benji who isn't part of the guild or the group of his lovers, even in those she held a certain amount of jealousy.

But before Layla said anything a pair of knights walked to them. "Captain Mana, Captain Shina the commander is calling both of you and your protégé." A knight with pink hair said to them. "In the Emperium room." "We will be going." Mana said to them.

"Well it is about time for her to decide to come out and say thanks." Mana said turning to Benji. "You girls don't wander too much in here; you know very well how castles are like mazes." Shina said to Ami and the others. "Wait why Benji-taisho has to go alone?" Haruka asked before Layla could do it.

"He isn't alone." Mana replied. "We are going too." "It is the same for us." Haruka said. "I don't know you." "And we don't know you either, look the only tie that bind us is Benji." Mana replied. "I as well anyone else am thankful for the help, but there is a chain of command and hierarchy here, our commander called for us and Benji, she didn't said us, Benji and some girls of his guild."

"Stop both of you." Benji snapped. "I am a sinx and in case of need I can easily fight by myself, that is for you Haruka, not to mention that is a leaders' meeting, Mana and Shina are going because they are my friends that vouched for me and called for our aid, they are there because their reputation is on the stake."

"And our leader isn't a fool; she wouldn't try to attack a friend of ours with us there or the leader of a guild who came for our aid when we asked." Shina added calmly. "In the worse case she will thank him and ask politely for him to leave the castle, in the best is an alliance between the two guilds."

"I can think in much worse cases than that." Haruka said flatly. "Haruka my sister wouldn't lie or let anything happen to him." Ami said seriously. "Excuse me but you lied to us for months, how we are supposed to believe on this?" Haruka asked. "You asked from which guild Ami's sister was part of?" Benji asked in a level tone.

"No." Haruka replied. "Anyone asked her that?" Benji asked again. "Not that I know about it." Haruka answered. "Then she didn't lie." Benji concluded. "I knew about her sister way before Ami came to me by mail, I didn't asked because Shina didn't told me about it and I respected her privacy, if anyone has a right to be angry and claim lying it would be me. And I am not angry or blaming Ami. Besides I also had offered my help to them if they needed it."

Haruka remained in silence unable to say anything back. "I told you this before Haruka; they saved my life in the desert." Benji said seriously. "I trust in them with my life as you trust in me with yours. Sure I am a bit angry at the lack of contact of them." Mana and Shina chuckled nervously at his barb.

"But look at the circumstances here, nearly one year locked inside a castle fighting no stop, sure they still had ways and time to send letters and private messages and didn't do it." Benji added. "You are trying to defend us or hurt us?" Mana asked with a frown. "Part of A and part of B." Benji replied with a grin.

"But they didn't tell you anything about their guild." Haruka pointed out. "Haruka we do the same with nearly everyone that we met outside the guild." Alexis points out. "You can't blain them for that." "Anyway we continue this later, I don't know their leader and I want to make a good impression." Benji said to them. "Layla gather our girls and make row call on them, they can chat with the others in here but we might need to leave soon."

Layla nodded at his words but doesn't say anything, while she as his lover isn't happy with the situation as his second she has to accept things as they are, in the moment they are a fighting force and Benji is the commander his words are absolute.

Benji, Shina and Mana leave the room. "That one with the silver hair was almost gutting me with her eyes." Mana commented with a sigh. "Layla can be very jealous." Benji commented. "She is also cautious and shy around strangers." "I don't think that shy is the right word for her Benji." Mana said dryly. "And that blonde wizard, she was acting as if we were taking you to a slaughter house."

"Haruka is difficult to deal with." Benji commented. "She is kind of high maintenance, but once you get to know her she is a nice girl." "So missed us?" Mana asked changing the subject; the walk to the Emperium room was a long one and why waste it with a bad conversation?

"In the beginning." Benji answered casually, sure he missed them a lot, there were times that he was too busy to actively feel like that but he did miss them. "Afterwards I hardly remembered of you."

"What?!" Mana exclaimed in horror. "Come on Mana he is teasing you, besides he was busy, he couldn't just be worried about us and level to sinx at the same time, sulking and leveling doesn't go along." Shina teased her friend. "But Benji you did a hell of a job, you raised a team of excellent fighters, they fight like demons."

"We are just motivated and despaired." Benji replied. "But thanks for your words." "I really mean it Benji, I saw them charging, I saw those new spells that the blonde wizard cast during the battle, if you were against us we wouldn't hold this castle." Shina said seriously. "Then there is the teaming, like you and that short haired blond monk, you two totaled knight after knight, and then you fighting by yourself, Benji I never saw anything like that and I have countless battles in my past."

Benji remained in silence; he doesn't know what to say to her, everything was the sum of several factors, training, equipment, familiarity, among other factors. "Benji I am not saying that is a bad thing." Shina continued. "But you and your girls are going to get a lot of attention, even more than you think that you are getting now. I really mean lots and lots of attention and not all of the good kind."

"I am already familiar with that." Benji commented. "Why you think that I have recruiting problems?" "So you are cautious about who you let in." Mana said not really pleased that the conversation got serious again. "Very." Benji answered. "Around one third of my guild was prisoners of the Wasted Years, I killed them all, later we killed around half of the Golden Years, that leaves plenty friends, families, lovers and whoever else of them that hold a grudge angry. We also refused a lot of people, fame hunters and other types like that."

Mana and Shina nodded understanding; they faced that kind of people too. "Besides I am not all that popular." Benji added. "My reputation is of a murderer, I also have fame of being gathering a harem under the excuse of making a guild, and we all know how bad reputation spreads faster than good reputation."

Shina and Mana nodded understanding. "So what you are going to do?" Mana asked. "You have three castles but not enough people to guard them." "I don't really now." Benji answered. "I could rely in weapons that I have designed by myself and with the guild, it would be only a temporary measure and might be illegal in the WoE. I hoped to get more people in the remaining weeks before the next WoE day."

"Unless you change your standards I don't think that you might succeed." Mana said seriously, Shina nodded agreeing. "Sadly Benji there is times that we have to give up on certain things in order to gain others." Shina added. "I know that already." Benji replied.

They arrive in the Emperium room, Benji is feeling a bit tense but doesn't show it, he doesn't really like the idea of meeting with the leader without any information on her, Mana and Shina didn't told a thing to him about her.

Benji sees nine women in the room, one blacksmith, two priestesses, one huntress, one sage, one knight, one wizard, one assassin and one rogue. The trios have different guild symbols, one of the trios, blacksmith, priestess and huntress were with the White Eyes symbol; the second trio, rogue, knight and wizard are with a symbol that looks like something that was blurred; last trio, priestess, sage and assassin are wearing a symbol of something bleeding.

"Greetings." The blacksmith said to Benji with a smile. "Welcome to our meeting. As you noticed in here are the two guild leaders of my alliance, we are of course escorted by our right and left hand women, given your past with my two captains feel free to assume them as your escorts on this meeting."

Mana and Shina look at each other confused, sure their leader was with her second and third in command there so were their long term allies but denying Benji that same right was awkward and impolite. "At my left is Theresa, she is the leader of the Bloody Wraith guild, and her two companions Vivian the purple flash and Elise the crimson flame." The blacksmith said gesturing to the group of the knight, wizard and the rogue. "Theresa is the knight, and that is just to make sure that you won't make confusion."

"On my right is Morrigan angel of death, the leader of the Blurry Eyes guild; next to her are Aria song of god and Deborah the dark canceller. Just to avoid confusion from your part Aria is the priestess and not the assassin."

Benji had figured that much but once again why say anything. "I am Fiasse of the white eyes, next to me are Hitomi nicknamed deadly eyes, and Sia……" Benji noticed how everyone on the room other than the mentioned priestess chuckled. "The Head banger." Fiasse finished with a hint of laughter on her voice.

"Let me guess it has a funny story for that nickname right?" Benji turned and asked to Mana. "Very funny." Mana replied. "If is pinning a poor motherfucker on the ground and banging his head on the floor isn't on my list of jokes." Benji commented. "I did worse with a guy using a door."

"Well it is funny for us." Shina commented. "It is because you weren't there to see her." "And how you used a door to bang on the guy's head?" Mana asked curious. "Quite simple when the guy poked his head by the half open door I held on his head while holding on the handle of the door with the other hand and them I banged the door on his head many times." Benji answered casually.

Mana laughed at the scene that she imagined. "Now cutting off the jokes and funny stories." Fiasse said clearing her throat. "All of us here know of you Benji Himura the blue dragon, knight killer or general; you have more than a handful of aliases not all of the flattering. You already know shinigami Mana and divine buster Shina, of course not with their nicknames. And they knew you before you gained yours."

Mana and Shina remain in silence, they are nervous, in front of them is the nine more powerful people of the guilds in terms of power and influence, if something bad would happen three guilds would fall against them, Mana and Shina doesn't know in which side they would end, Benji's or their guild's.

"We are thankful for you quick response to our request for help." Fiasse continued politely. "I understand that you were in a transcendence quest when first called by Mana and Shina, but your guild came even without you answering us. Why that?" "Because within my closer circle of friends in my guild they knew that I would come to aid Mana and Shina when I heard that they were in trouble, the acting leader at that time knew that and came here knowing that when I got the news I would come here." Benji answered in a level tone. "Which happened since as soon my party and I finished that quest and got the word of the attack we came here."

"We saw that." Fiasse said nodding. "Did Mana and Shina told you that we are interested in purchasing from you one of the castles that you conquered on the past war day?"

"They mentioned that one of your allies is interested in getting one of them." Benji answered. "And what you answered?" Fiasse asked. "I teased them." Benji replied. "I will consider based in how much she intends to pay for the castle, I am sure that you are aware of how much profit a castle can give as well as much loss."

"We are well aware of that." Fiasse said. Morrigan places a bar of gold over the table between them. "This bar is worth two hundred millions zenys." Morrigan said while placing a pouch next to it and showing precious stones. "I am willing to pay a total of two hundred and thirty seven millions for the castle, any of the two that you conquered, immediate pay and moving."

Benji remains in silence, it was a sizable sum, definitely worth of a castle, but not enough to build and create a castle of that size, Benji is aware that in his current state he won't be able to hold it. "It isn't enough?" Morrigan asked to the fellow assassin taking his silence as denial. "This is all that I can pay for it, I think that is a fitting sum for the rights over the castle."

"You know what you are going to get once you own the castle?" Benji asked to her. "You have any idea of how it is to manage a castle?" "What you think that we have been doing since we were sieged in here?" Morrigan asked back to him. "I know the risks of having a castle, but I think that my guild deserves a place for us to rest and call home."

"Then I will take it but don't complain later." Benji replied. "Which one you want?" "I think that I will take Bergel." Morrigan answered. Benji nodded. "Schedule a day for us to go there and make the trade." Benji said to her. Morrigan nodded taking back the gold and stones.

"Now moving to something else." Fiasse said turning to Benji. "Are you aware of the past of your monk?" "Which one?" Benji asked. "My guild has ten monks on it." "The blonde one that arrived with you and fought next to you." Fiasse answered. "You mean Atsuko?" Benji asked seriously. "What about her?"

"You know her past guild?" Fiasse asked. "She is a former Kingstone guild member." Benji answered in a level tone, Atsuko told him about her family as she called Helen and some close members of the guild. "She left the guild when joined my guild."

"One of the allies of a subdivision of the Kingstone guild was helping on the siege even thought they weren't in the battle today." Fiasse added.

"I fail to see why you are bringing Atsuko up." Benji said in a flat tone. "No one can keep tracks of all their allies' actions and Atsuko was a loner, she is what some call errand monk, traveling around and leveling by herself and in rare occasions becoming partners with someone."

"You are sure that she is worth your trust?" Fiasse asked. "Yes I am." Benji answered. "If you plan to try to convince me to expel Atsuko forget it, she is my lover and I brought her into the guild, she joined at my invitation. If you were going to say something in the lines of expelling her because she is a former Kingstone guild member to become allied with you, you are better saving your breath because it isn't going to happen."

Mana and Shina remained in silence, they guessed that Benji would stick up for Atsuko; it wasn't like Benji throwing a friend to the wolves for a deal, especially someone who he claimed to be a lover.

"Even knowing that without allies you might not be able to hold your castles?" Fiasse asked. "Without Atsuko we wouldn't have defended our castle as well as we did." Benji answered, since he arrived he was getting an off vibe from Fiasse, something about her struck a chord in Benji's memory but he couldn't pinpoint anything.

"Ladies I want to discuss few things in particular with the general." Fiasse said to the others. "Mind in leaving us alone for a while?" Mana and Shina wanted to protest but they knew better and unwillingly left with the others.

"You two have any idea of what on him might be interesting her?" Hitomi asked to Mana and Shina. "We don't really know." Mana answered. "I am confused about all this; I thought that Benji would become our ally." "I thought the same too." Shina added. "Since we heard about him joining a guild I thought that he would eventually be our ally."

Hitomi and Sia remained in silence they also don't know about Fiasse's intentions. "It would be stupidity to try anything against him." Morrigan said seriously. "His reputation isn't exaggeration; we saw what he did out there." "However he has ties to the Kingstone guild." Theresa said with a hint of annoyance on her voice. "Even if he claims that she isn't part of that guild she was with them and their allies were attacking us."

"The allies of the Kingstone only attacked in the WoE days and didn't help in the siege." Aria pointed out. "It is his right to recruit whoever he wants; we can't order him to expel anyone just because we don't like them."

Inside Fiasse sighed. "So cutting the crap." She said in Portuguese. "What kind of fuck would require for you to kick that monk of yours?" Benji is surprised but hides it quite well; the feeling was getting stronger now that he discovered that she isn't natural of Rune.

"I said before I won't expel her." Benji replied. "Between you and Atsuko I will pick up Atsuko in any day of the week." Fiasse snorted. "Stubborn as ever." She muttered pulling a Gatling gun from behind the Emperium pillar. "Let's see if I can smoothen you down now!" Benji runs out of room before she can even shoulder the gun.

The girls outside shriek as they are throw against walls or the floor when the door bursts open. Benji skidded on the floor and bolts to the left just moments before a volley of bullets impacts on the wall in front of the door. Fiasse run out of the room struggling a bit with the gun and fires at the direction that Benji ran to, Benji slides and draws two pistols while sliding on the smooth stone floor.

Fiasse shrieked when Benji fired and his bullets hit her gun even with the odd angle of fire and lack of a real aim. Fiasse sees her Gatling gun falling apart and pulls a shotgun and resumes chasing him.

Mana and Shina run after her, they won't let Fiasse hurt Benji, he was there because of them. Hitomi and Sia run after them, they know that Fiasse isn't really all that endowed when it comes to thinking and diplomacy, at least in some times, she was also a little crazy.

Benji reloads his pistols while running, he was counting on his luck for running on the right direction on a dungeon to once again navigate him in a castle. "Girls warp out now." Benji said making a guild call. "None of the guilds is hostile but I think that the leader of the White Eyes in on one of those days and she is moody so get back home. I am leaving now too."

"Goshujin-sama is there anything wrong?" Layla asked worried. "Nothing really big, just something hormonal from her part, I can get out of here by myself but with you girls here I can't focus on escaping from her." Benji answered. "Escaping?" Layla asked. "If is an attack we can fight!"

"It isn't an attack." Benji said. "Layla I am ordering a retreat so retreat." "Hai." Layla said defeated, and she joins the others in the teleportation. Benji sighed with relief now that his girls are safe and won't be attacked, he lied to Layla but was better than saying that Fiasse was chasing him and trying to kill him with guns.

"Halt!" A pair of gunslingers shouted leaping out from a hall. Benji ignores the command and fires at them before they fired at him. The two girls cry in pain as his bullets bite on their arms and legs. "Crap!" Benji shouted jumping back and barely avoiding a wall of bullets as a formation of twenty gunslingers fired when he made a turn.

Benji sees the wall turning into dust as they fire continuously. "So reckless." Benji muttered holding his left pistol under his right arm; he pulls a black ball of the size of an orange from his inventory, snapping his index and thumb Benji lithe the fuse of the bomb and throws at the direction of the formation.

Moments later a loud explosion cuts the shots, Benji runs out of his hiding spot and sees the gunslingers lightly burnt and charred fallen in the floor squirming in pain without major injuries, Benji used a metal and shrapnel free bomb, just the shock and the fire hit them, they would recover soon.

Fiasse sees the girls and the soot covered walls. "Damn he made bombs." She cursed running over the girls. "No wonder he raised an army like that, he is still the same master as he was then. I am so going to break him."

Mana and Shina see the scene after Fiasse left. "What Benji did?" Shina murmured seeing the wounded girls. "None of them will get permanent injuries but what is going on?" "Our leader is up to something, and Benji is going out of his way to not kill anyone." Mana concluded recalling the wounded gunslingers that they found before those.

"Maybe he has hopes of being friends with us after this mess." Morrigan commented. "We have to stop Fiasse, this isn't right; this isn't how to repay his kindness." Mana nodded and they continue to run after them. Benji shoots at a shut window and leaps out of it. "Teleport!" he shouted in midair.

Fiasse cursed and looks out of the window not seeing him anywhere. "I don't believe on this!" She shouted hitting the window frame. "Why you keep refusing me Himura?! Not once but twice!"

Above the window Benji grinned pulling a strong silk cord from his pocket, Fiasse looks out again trying to look for him at the distance, it was all that he needed to lace her neck in a garrote with the silk cord and pull her out of the window. The blacksmith flails feeling the strong pressure on her neck, her own weight choking her as Benji pulls her up to the rooftop.

Benji pulls hard on the rope and slams her down on the rooftop, Fiasse gasped as the air is suddenly expelled from her lungs with the impact. "Now I recalled a psychotic bitch." Benji said twisting her left arm behind her back and tying it high with the cord of her neck.

If she tries to pull down her arm she will strangle herself, to safe her life she will have to force the joint in that painful position on her own, it was a variation of a strangling restraint that Benji learned from a former Brazilian army lieutenant during his early teens.

Benji presses the barrel of one of his pistols on the back of her head. "It hasn't been enough years Beth." Benji said cocking the pistol. "You shouldn't have left war master." Beth replied in a pained tone, her voice hoarse because the pain and strain. "But I can see that you became even more dangerous. You could have ruled there."

"Why I would want to rule that shit hole?" Benji sneered. "It was a mistake going to that place in the first place. I never agreed with the combat, I never wanted position that you and your friends forced on me."

"You won the battle royale." Beth replied. "You earned the title. Don't forget that the one wielding the crossbar was you and not me. I still remember you all by yourself in the final moments of it, it was beautiful scene, the muddy ground covered with the unconscious losers, few, the strongest ones still standing, still fighting."

"And vultures like you watching the damn thing with pleasure, setting up a fight with some lame excuse of being tradition and hierarchy." Benji spat grinding the barrel against her head. Beth doesn't complain but hissed in pain. "I can't deny that we enjoyed the show a lot, but what best way to get a leader out of the freshmen than a battle royale to decide who is going to call the shots?" Beth asked. "The strongest dorm gets the right of decide over the duties and benefits of all the dorms of that year. It happened in the junior and senior years too."

"People got hurt, I don't want imagine how many died because that idea; idea that people like you work hard to keep as tradition." Benji said really considering in pulling the trigger. "That survival of the fittest way of thinking led to bullying, abuse and rape. You lived in the female dorm, you know what happened."

"So what? You stopped him." Beth replied. "Himura you know that she was a tease, he only wanted to get what she taunted him with." "While she was a tease that doesn't make right for him to rape her." Benji shot back. "And if was you Beth? And if some guy overpowered you and decided to use you for his pleasure? That fittest rule applies to you too?"

"I have my ways Himura, as you have yours." Beth replied. "You only turned you back on that place when the year ended. You don't have the right to lecture me about it. You ran." "I didn't ran, I chose to leave that nuthouse." Benji said. "Drugs, violence, alcohol, sex and corruption. Hard to believe that that place was a supposed to be a school in the middle of the country side."

"Because it was in the country side that we could be that bad." Beth sneered. "More than three kilometers away from the nearest neighbor, no police, uncaring and corrupt staff, we had to come with our own rules, our own hierarchy between the students. War masters, leaders by combat, come on Himura admit it, and it felt good to rule by strength, the respect that you got for beating all the guys of the other dorms after nearly everyone from your dorm was knocked out. That you who started out with a handmade knuckle duster and aluminium baton made out of a bike's pedal shaft managed to steal the crowbar of a guy from a different dorm and last until the end of it. You who was dragged out by the guy that shared your bunker bed."

"I was fighting so he and my other friend wouldn't get hurt." Benji replied. "I didn't felt any pleasure or joy in beating those guys." "You delivered several of them to the hospital, broken bones because the crowbar, arms, legs and shoulders, as you were hitting today in the attack." Beth said. "Each slash crippled at least three of them; each strike killed at least three, heads, arms and legs flying at each slash of your sword."

"You provoked this." Benji hissed. "Why you made them siege the castle like this? Why locking everyone here for almost one year?" Beth laughed. "Fame." She answered. "Reputation, wealth, glory, and amusement. The White Eyes and its allies held this castle for almost one year not counting with anyone other than themselves, our economy skyrocketed, our members are the strongest, our safes flooding with gold because the daily trips to the dungeon. We gain several rare items everyday. You aren't different that me Himura, you do the same thing."

"I am different from you Bethany, you do it for amusement and pleasure, and I do because I am forced to." Benji said in a cold tone. "Of all the people that I could meet in this world, of all the people of our world that could come here, why the leader of the guild of Mana and Shina had to be you? You don't deserve people like them, they are too good for you, far too good."

"And what you are going to do about it?" Beth sneered. "Kill me?" "Yeah." Benji answered pulling the trigger. "You forgot or ignored the fact that I know how to bypass the safety."

End of the chapter eighteen:

Author explanation corner:

Valkyrie's combat trial: Felt like a reasonable way for the Valkyrie decides if the person is worth or not of her time and her transcendence, Valkyrie's transcendency is more powerful than the regular since you don't lose all the levels and experience previously acquired as happens with the regular kind. Few more benefits will be show in the story.

Benji's, Layla's and Atsuko's new outfits: I know that their outfits as assassin cross, lord knight and champion are different than the usual, that is for particular reasons (some being just looks). More explanations in future chapters of the story.

Cast spear: Shaped as a spear design that I like to use in RPG, can be used to physical and magical attacks. The spear gives an INT, DEX, MATK and cast speed boost, it is to enhance the power magic attacks and surprise enemies with a magic attack using a spear instead of a rod or staff.

Lightning shot: A simple lightning based attack, instead of being a subdivision of wind as lightning is in the RO the element of the attack is lightning and not wind. A fast cast, high accuracy and high speed shooting spell, armor piercing splash lightning damage, wind attribute armor and defenses does decrease the damage since air isn't a good conduit for electricity.

Layla's dualing skill: Anyone can use two weapons with certain success, Benji taught Layla to dual with more success and damage than the normal. The damage of the weapons is cut in one third when dualing with two hands weapons and one quarter to one hand weapons. Layla trained with this and few more techniques to add to her usual repertories. She isn't the only who is trained with other techniques and skills.

Hissatsu: Certain kill, certain death, one hit kill, there are many possible translation for it. In the story it is the title given to original techniques that the Seiryu's legions members developed, some are deadlier than others.

Alabaster demon fire: Haruka's original wide area beam attack. Gundam styled mass destruction attack, that is how it looks and the effect. It destroys everything within the path from the caster to the target. Fast cast anti-mob spell, neutral element, highly costly with a considerable delay.

Benji's and Atsuko's combo: Assassin and monk are melee fighters, so it is plausible that one assassin and one monk can trash out enemies in harmony and effectively together. Benji and Atsuko also teamed together for months, they are well used to fighting together so they can time well the attacks to lock the victim in a helpless state. Anyway I just threw a high number for the damage in the knight, I don't want to do the whole calculation only for the Soul Breaker against a VIT knight, so let's pretend that is like that if isn't.

War master: In a boarding school that I made the mistake of enrolling on in the past there was a sick tradition of having fights between the students to get power and benefits. The school was in the middle of the country side far from neighboring cities, the school staff was corrupt and embezzled founds from the school.

The students of the board didn't have any real power, the ones that had used intimidation and fear to keep it. The fights were both for their amusement and to select the ones more inclined join the scheme. The masters as they liked to call themselves controlled benefits and orders related to the dorms and classes.

So they could make their dorm have a TV, AC and other commodities while other dorms suffered with broken fans or showers. I was indeed dragged to it by two friends; I couldn't leave them alone, in a dorm filled with strangers and dangerous people the friends that we made there sticked together there.

I did win the freshmen battle because a stolen crowbar and accurate hits in joints of the others, the count of students going to the neighbor city's hospital that year was higher than the usual. (At least one year of karate and two of ninjitsu paid up them, since I knew where to hit to hurt and they didn't.)

Anyway as the leader of the freshmen year I had the power to dish out punishments, duties, benefits and other things related to that year students. Unlike the others I tried to be as equal as possible and not favor anyone. Male and female dorms had their own leaders.

Bethany AKA Fiasse: Her real name is Betania, I altered to the English version of her name, she was a junior of that school, she liked the power that she had as master but she never fought for it, she manipulated others to do the dirty work. I never liked her and didn't get along with her. Because of that she was highly interested on me since I didn't fancied or were attracted to her as other males were.

She was at the least complex, she loved stirring up trouble between the students just to see how the chaos would unfold, and she also liked the fame of being the master of the junior hall of the female dorm. She was rumored to be a little crazy.


	20. Kill, Kill, Kill

Hi this is Benji Himura I am starting a new fanfic. I don't own Ragnarok online I also don't own the characters of that story or the plot; taking out the changes that I will make and the characters that I will create. I own Benji Himura and others characters that will show up in the story. It might be violence and sex in the story so if you are underage of seventeen are warned the content might be too improper to your age. Read by your own will and risk. In anyway enjoy the story.

Signed: Benji Himura

"Text" Talked sentences.

'Text' Thoughts.

-Text- Sounds effects.

(Text) Talked sentences in a foreign language

: Text: Messages show in an electronic screen or written.

**Text**: something being recalled, flashbacks, scenes being replayed.

_Text_: a detail found in a location, scene, person, recording and images that originally wasn't there.

Chapter nineteen: Kill, Kill, Kill

"And what you are going to do about it?" Beth sneered. "Kill me?" "Yeah." Benji answered pulling the trigger. "You forgot or ignored the fact that I know how to bypass the safety."

Beth howled in pain as the bullet pierces her hand, then her back until exits through her chest. Gasping in pain and chocking in blood the falls forward. "But that doesn't mean that I will give you a painless and swift death." Benji added leveling the pistol to her other hand and firing once making the blacksmith scream once more.

Beth bites her lower lip and tries to hold her screams. "You are just like me." She said with pain in her voice. "Wrong." Benji replied shooting her in the left side of her hip. "I don't like killing." Benji shoots her in the right side of her hip punctuating his words. "I don't force people to follow me or my ideas through fear and abusing my strength, I don't abuse of my powers." Benji now shoots her in the back of her knees.

Each time Beth shouted in pain, Benji knew that he was going to be found by the others but he was okay with that, he could escape from them. "I don't support and fuel a system that allows the abuse and rape of others." Benji said shooting her other knee. "You are torturing me." Beth gasped in pain. "I am delivering righteous punishment on you." Benji replied. "If you don't remember you had this coming." "What about you?" Beth asked feeling the metal pressing on her right shoulder. "Eventually someone will end doing the same to me." Benji answered casually while shooting her again. "I killed far too many people on this world, many deserved but others were just stupid or herded, you lured them, their loved ones won't see their flaws and will think of me as a devil." "And you aren't?" Beth asked semi-conscious. "I am a demon and I don't deny it." Benji answered. "After all I am an assassin."

"That isn't fair Benji." Mana said from behind him. "Why you are killing her? You can't do that." Mana light places her hands over his. "It isn't right." "She deserves to die." Benji replied. "After everything why you are stopping me?"

"Because if anyone is going to be killing her is has to be us." Shina said walking next to them. "We suffered under her rule for far too long." Benji couldn't help on smiling, they weren't trying to prevent him from murdering Beth, they wanted to do it. Benji wouldn't deny them that, after all they did suffered under her rule longer than he did, and it was their right to kill her.

"You two will join them?" Benji asked to Hitomi and Sia who also climbed on the roof. "I don't think that the four of us can kill her at the same time." Sia answered. "Use this." Benji said handing to them a rope. "Two on each side with a loop around her neck, simple isn't it?"

"Strangling sounds good for me." Mana commented pulling her dagger from Beth's back. "It isn't all that easy." Benji pointed out. "It takes at least five minutes to someone die is you suffocated them. It varies between people." "We don't mind." Hitomi said siding with Sia in one of the ends of the rope.

Beth didn't want to believe that her subordinates were doing that to her, that they would kill her in any given chance. "You shouldn't have done to us what you did." Sia said to the choking woman. "Treating us as nothing more as pieces of a game that you played, abusing of our loyalty and our lives."

"You know how much it hurts?" Hitomi said pulling harder on the rope. "My fiancée waited for me, he got badly ill while waiting for me in the entry of the house that we bought together, he died of pneumonia last month, I couldn't be there for him, I couldn't see him, tend him back to health or even see him a last time, or let him see me a last time."

"I lost my sister's knighting." Shina said angrily. "I didn't saw her becoming a knight, I wasn't there to see her changing, I wasn't there to congratulate her, I lost her first WoE, I couldn't even give to her advices and hints in how to fight." Benji could tell that Beth wasn't listening, she was struggling to breathe, chocking and gasping, her members flailing in her death throes, but the girls continue to tell to Beth all the times that she wronged them.

"This is too hard." Sia complained. "You girls are almost there." Benji said casually. "Hang in there that she is almost gone." It was true after all, Beth had lost control of her muscles, first she flailed around and she just had pissed on herself as the muscles relax due the lack of oxygen.

Mana laughed but kept the firm grip on the rope, from Beth's body a sound erupted as the wind rushes out from her bowels filling the air with an unbearable stench. "Is she shitting herself?" Shina asked surprised, holding back her laughter. "Her muscles are relaxing because there isn't oxygen on her system, she is losing the last remnants of muscle control that she has." Benji explained, he had read that people who were hanged that soiled themselves, it was a proven fact that it happened.

Beth's face is a contorted mask of pain, the white of her eyes are exposed with no sign of her irises appearing, she was drooling and the spasms that were racking her body are gone, she was in the brink of death. After few more minutes the girls keep the pressure on the rope.

"What happens to you now?" Benji asked to Mana and Shina. "In normal situations there might be trouble when killing someone, but we can testify that she wasn't sane." Mana answered. "Besides in certain special circumstances guild members can remove a leader from the command without punishment. Fiasse had fulfilled several of them until now."

"And why just now?" Benji asked, if they had ways to get rid of her why not doing so? "Because we wanted to see if she could change." Shina answered. "But seeing how she attacked you and chased you all over the place." "Some of us were attacked by her more than once." Hitomi added. "If she saw something that she thought that was wrong or a mistake she would lash out."

"It seems that the others figured out or got brave enough to climb in here." Benji commented hearing the voices of other girls running in the hall under them. "I guess that I have to escape now. It won't look good for me to stay here." "We will get in touch with you soon." Mana said to him. "The girls will understand what we did and why, just give us one day or two to select a new guild master." Benji nodded and walk to the edge of the roof.

"Don't!" Shina exclaimed as Benji step away from the roof. They run to the edge just to see the empty space bellow and ahead them. "He has more tricks than when we last saw him." Mana commented with a chuckle. "I wonder if that was a teleport."

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Benji lands lightly on his feet in the middle of the yard of Sakura Keikoku. "Taisho!" most of the girls cried when seeing him, none of them understood what happened, they only got orders to leave the castle and return to theirs. "Everyone is okay?" Benji asked looking around.

"No one is hurt." Atsuko said walking towards him. "What took you so long?" "I was wrapping up few things." Benji answered. "Where is Layla?" Atsuko sighed. "She is on her room with Erika." Atsuko replied. "She forgot that she has to act as an underling and that you have to act as commander instead of a lover. I had to speak some sense to her."

"And she didn't take it well." Benji commented. "Yes." Atsuko answered. "I think that Layla had also noticed that she went overboard on this and that is why she locked herself in her room. She must be embarrassed and ashamed." "I will talk to her later." Benji said. "Everyone is fine and that is a good thing." "What happened?" Atsuko asked seriously. "Kind of a long story." Benji answered. "I tell you later."

It takes few minutes to calm the girls and make them take care of their items, slowly they return to their rooms and routines. "Maria and Raki are here?" Benji asked seriously. "Yes." Atsuko answered. "Tsugumi and Ruri were here so they are playing with them; both girls are a bit surprised and shocked about our transcendency process."

"Atsuko from what I remember it is only natural." Benji said recalling the last moments before he couldn't remember anything until clearly much later, the gap on the memory was considerable. "I know, but I had no idea that it would be like that." Atsuko replied. "Otherwise I wouldn't let you take them; I always thought that was something else."

Benji sighed knowing that Atsuko wasn't lying, but the whole thing was too shocking to two girls that young.

Benji stops walking suddenly, Atsuko looks at him, the sudden halt cut her current sentence. Benji looked tense as he scans around with his eyes. Far from there a woman with short black hair cut in a boyish style looks at the castle using a pair of binoculars. "He knows that we are here." She said casually, she can see very clearly that Benji is looking straightly at them. "His senses are much sharper; he could feel your killing intent all the way from there."

A younger woman with long purple hair wearing swordswoman clothes is next to her. "As if I care." She replied in an emotionless tone. "Yuffie unless you start to learn to suppress your killing intent you won't ever defeat him." The brunette said casually. "I agreed in assisting and teaching you as long you complied to my orders and learned what I have to teach you."

"Yes Junko." Yuffie demurely replied she knew her place as student; she had to work on her flaws to take him down. "Now let's leave this place before he starts to really feel suspicious and decides to track us down here." Junko said seriously. "Remember of everything that you saw today Yuffie, if you want to defeat him you need to know how he fights."

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"Layla you can't stay like this." Erika said to her friend. "Sure Atsuko was right and you didn't want to admit it, but let's be honest here, you deep down also knew that. Why continue to act like this? Benji is back he came back just few minutes after us."

"How I can be a recipient of his trust when I act like that when he orders me?" Layla replied sited on her bed hugging her knees against her chest. "I was so jealous of those two that I forgot my place." "You are his lover." Erika said. "Benji can understand that you can get jealous and that sometimes you are a bit stubborn, you were worried about him and I know that he knows that."

"And if one day I act like that when really matters, I an emergency or during a battle?" Layla asked. "How can I be trusted as his second in command when at any moment I can just disobey him on jealousy or petty anger?"

Erika sighed, sure Layla had a point in her doubts, but Erika knows that her friend can keep herself mostly professional when needed and would be able to separate her love life from her position in the guild. "Layla I know that you had an intense day before coming to aid Ami's sister's guild." Erika said. "Then you saw the two women that are Benji's adventurer godmothers being very affectionate towards them, I know that under that mask of jealously you hide the fact that you are unsure of yourself."

"How can I be sure of myself as a woman when I was raped for months?" Layla exclaimed. "I am damaged! Broken beyond repair!" "I don't think so." Benji's voice came from the other side of the locked door. "We are being that loud?" Erika asked. "Not until Layla's last sentence." Benji answered. "So I can come in or is private?" Erika turns to Layla, if her friend protested she would tell to Benji that was better not to enter.

"Goshujin-sama you know that I won't ever deny you any wish." Layla said turning to the door. "If you want to come in who am I to deny you?" "Layla stop with the subservience." Benji said seriously. "Yes I want to enter and talk to you, but do you want to talk to me?

Erika can see that Layla is torn, the subservience was how Layla expressed her affection, she was giving herself entirely to Benji, she allowed him to make all the important decisions regarding her, but Layla was also a strong woman, the act was also a part escape from reality.

Erika stands up and moves to the door. "I will leave now Layla, you need to decide on your own." Erika said to her friend and lover. Exiting the room Erika looks at Benji. "She is quite shaken by actually nothing." Erika said seriously. "She is thinking in things that haven't happened and that might not have happened. She is doubts her ability to lead after you because her feelings for you."

Benji nodded understanding and sees Erika walking away, he doesn't try entering on the room when Erika leaves. "I won't leave until you give me an answer Layla." Benji said to the closed door. Layla remained in silence, with doubts on her mind.

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Layla looks at the door of her room, still shut, her room still empty. She doesn't exactly knows for how long she was there looking at the door thinking, but she knows that she haven't given Benji an answer. But she needed to go to the bathroom, she is sure that by now Benji had left the hall, why he would stay there until then when she wasn't saying anything, the silence on the other side of the door was enough for Layla to be sure that he wasn't there.

She was wrong, when she opens the door she sees Benji sited next to her door, his back pressed against the wall, he was wearing casual clothes instead of his assassin clothes. "Made up your mind?" Benji asked looking up at the lady knight. "You were here all this time?" Layla asked in the verge of tears. "Why you haven't said anything?"

Benji almost told her that it passed less than fifteen minutes since he last spoke to her, but he knew that it would be wrong instead he says. "I told you that I wouldn't leave until you answered me."

Layla doesn't know if she smiles or cry, smile at his actions and cry at her stupidity. Benji stands up and looks at his lover. "You feel ready to talk now?" Benji asked. Layla nodded, but feeling the pressure on her bladder she asks him to wait on her room.

A handful of minutes later Layla returns and finds Benji sited on her bed waiting for her, she had noticed earlier that he was wearing casual clothes and now his assassin clothes; it was a pleasant change for her. "I am sorry." Layla said sitting next to him. "I only give you trouble."

"That isn't true." Benji replied. "While I can't deny that you as everyone else that shares my bed is a bit of high maintenance I wouldn't change anything about you." Layla blushed at his words. "But I keep going out of my place." Layla exclaimed embarrassed.

"Layla you downgrade yourself too much." Benji said gently holding her face with his hands making her look at his eyes. "You are my lover, you can be jealous, as long isn't an unhealthy amount of it I don't mind." "But how can I lead the guild after you when I let my emotions cloud my judgment?" Layla protested with her cheeks red.

"If I didn't trusted in you with the guild I would tell you." Benji said seriously. "I know that when it matters you will do the right thing, and we can work a bit in your emotion management. You think too much about needless things, and that only make you stressed and tense." Layla remains in silence because just before she could say anything Benji kisses her denying her any chance of verbally protesting.

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"Benji we have finished with the final arrangements." Makie said entering on Benji's office. "We are ready to go." Benji nodded understanding, with one week remaining to the second WoE of their guild added with the pressure of transcending the guild needed a break, because that Benji located a deserted island that they could use to go on a small vacation.

"You are sure that you will be all right by yourself here?" Makie asked seriously. "We are locking the whole place why you still want to stay and guard it?" "Someone needs to look over the house." Benji answered. "Since I don't really do anything useful in the WoE you galls go out and have fun, the beach is all yours."

Makie sighed many of the girls won't relax as much as they would with Benji there, while others would, many of them still have issues about males seeing their bodies. "I will be giving the final instructions to the girls, I will also tell to Layla and the others to drop by." Makie added.

"Okay." Benji answered while writing something down. "Bring me a coconut or something." "Kay." Makie replied before leaving. Benji sees the door being locked and stretches on his chair, he was looking forward to that vacation as much as the girls, for five nights and six days the whole castle would be his, he would have some privacy for a change.

Sure the downside is that he won't be seeing Atsuko, Layla, Erika and Haruka in swimsuits but since he knows every inch of their bodies he could live with seeing that in a later time.

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After a teary but nice farewell Benji finds himself alone in the castle, the silence that fills the air is almost unbearable, without the girls the castle felt dead and cold, but was all his. Taking out his shirt and tucking it on his belt Benji walks to the kitchen, he had stashed a bottle of cherry wine there just for that moment.

With a smile Benji takes the bottle from his stash behind the white rice, taking a large swing of the contents Benji leaves the kitchen humming, he had more plans to enjoy his week of privacy, independence and quietness. In his office Benji scans through the books.

"Seventeen easy lessons on forging for amateurs, read that…alchemy for beginners…been there…" Benji murmured reading the titles for something specific. "How to become a gunsmith…Mecha piloting for dummies and wimps, if Shinji Ikari did you can… I will save that one for later…" "Finally." Benji exclaimed finding the book that he wanted. "I so need to get a librarian here, anyway time to finish reading Pretty Face. I so love the library chest."

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"Layla just relax we are in a private tropical island, if you stay like that the others will think that you aren't having fun." Makie said to the silver haired knight. "I am not having fun." Layla replied flatly. "Just because you can't expose that sexy body of yours in a swimsuit to Benji doesn't mean that the vacation is over." Makie commented seriously. "Get a tan, go back home after this week with a nice tan lines and he will love it."

Layla blushed. "Why I should be here when he is all alone in the castle?" Layla complained. "Because you are the second in command." Makie said seriously. "Some of you girls aren't recovered enough to wander in swimsuit in front of him, and it is always good to let someone watching the house. Even Atsuko is coming here after she expends a couple of days with her friends on her old guild."

"Atsuko is Atsuko." Layla replied. "I know that, but try having some fun Layla." Makie said. "Benji got us this island and want for us to have fun, as much as we can get as both a reward for the last WoE and battle, and to relax from the stress of the next WoE. You also need to relax, put on you bikini, ask Erika to rub some sun oil on your back, get a tan, swim and have fun, he did told you to enjoy your time here."

Layla sighed not really in the mood to play and having fun, sure Haruka started a game of beach volley with some of the girls, Maria and Raki are making a sandcastle together with Mutsumi and Saeki, Erika is sunbathing nude, example followed by more than few of the other girls, other were swimming.

Layla lies down under an empty sun guard, Makie leaves the silver haired woman alone, at least she is staying in the sand and not in the cabin. 'He goes out of his way to get a private island for us and Layla is so attached to him that she can't have fun without him around.' Makie sighed inwardly. 'I knew that she was frail but not that much. But I think that she might be starting to get used to the thought of having fun without Benji around. I wonder what Benji is doing now; I know that he won't just housesit for the whole week.'

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Makie is right, Benji left the castle after attending to a call of the nature, now he is on a quest, after tracking down Pasana in the Sphinx killing it and getting a honey pot Benji is now tracking something else, something bigger, but oddly enough less dangerous. Benji grinned when he locates his target, a Bigfoot, it is an easy kill and nothing in Amatsu fields poses as threat towards him, even if all the monsters in the field mobbed against him Benji would kill them all in less than one minute.

Less that eight months earlier Benji took half an hour to wipe the entire monster life of the field when rescuing Haruka, but since then Benji changed a lot, and in that moment he was savoring a different kind of game, not the open walking and killing everything on his path, he was hunting as a predator or a regular hunter, tracking, locating, keeping himself hidden to track his prey.

Benji can hear cries and screams from someone not so far from there, actually the screams are getting closer, Benji sighs and jumps at the distracted bear before it moved. With a Gladius on his right hand, Benji impacts on the bear's back and stabs him several times while holding on the larger body with his left hand.

Two adventurers, a swordsman and an archer are running from a group of six kappas, they are shocked with Benji killing the bear, Benji sighed while removing the large heart of bear. "You people never heard about fly wings?" Benji asked while moving at their direction.

Before the two could even understand the words Benji finished the mob. "This place isn't the kind of place for first jobs wander around freely." Benji said seriously to them. "Only with base over fifty you can deal with the karakasas, you can't even dream beating the kappas."

"We came here by mistake." The archer said on their defense. "A priest that we are acquainted with warped us here." "Either by mistake or as a joke." The swordsman added. "I will take the two of you to the city." Benji said. "This isn't a place to wander aimlessly."

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In his castle once again alone Benji walks to his room carelessly taking out his blood soaked clothes, it was one of his old and tattered assassin clothes, staining it even more wouldn't do any difference. In the bathroom Benji showers quickly and changed to a pair of denim trousers, a white t-shirt, a leather jacket and a pair of soft leather boots.

With his unusual loot of the day Benji moves to a not very used area of the castle, with a key Benji opens a reinforced door and walks down a long set of stairs only to meet another door even stronger than the first. "It has been a long while." Benji commented while locking the door again after passing through it.

The area around him appears to be a mockery of a samurai garden fused with a forest, the sound of nightlife can be faintly heard in the distance, Benji walks casually to his destination in the guild's dungeon, an area so dangerous that Benji kept it locked shut even from his underlings.

A peasant looking monster similar to the ones that attack him when Maria appeared but demon like and with brownish red skin attacks Benji with a cleaver, Benji simply dodges the attack and grabs the male peasant head with his right hand and with a sudden move Benji snaps his neck as if it was a dry twig.

Dropping the lifeless corpse Benji continues his march. Humming softly and killing whatever ancient Japanese peasant styled monster that dared to attack him or came on his path Benji moves killing without a second thought or even trouble.

"If this spot wasn't so good the walk would be annoying." Benji smiled seeing the crystal clear lake surface, some beams of light coming from the roof of the large cave shine down the lake and the area, cutting the darkness and filling the place with a not so dim light.

Benji sits on the grassy margin of the lake and pulls a kappa's fishing rod, he stole it from a kappa that he killed when aiding the swordsman and the archer. The honey pot became his bait carrier, the bait was the heart of the Bigfoot chopped in small pieces; Benji places a piece of the heart in a fishing hook in the line before throwing the line in the clear water.

He knew that there was fish in those waters, lots and lots of fish there, in his first time in the dungeon Benji dived in the lake because he was being chased by a horde of Japanese onis, he saw that the lake was filled with fish. With a pleased sigh Benji leans against a large rock behind his and relax waiting for a bite, the pole nailed in the ground between his legs with a bell on the tip. Pulling a book from his backpack Benji opens it and enjoys the solitude and quietness.

………A couple days later……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"The target is armed and dangerous." A paladin says to a group of crusaders, monks, priests, wizards and snipers. "This is the best time to strike, his entire effective is in a journey and won't return in the next six days, however we can't forget that he single handed killed over seventy people before making his guild, and is a know fact that his strength increased greatly since then."

The paladin can easily see the tension on the faces of his underlings, they had every right to be tense and nervous, they are about to attack one of the newest legends of Rune-Midgard, know nationwide for his ability to kill entire guilds by himself, standing his ground against a lord knight of a level twice bigger than his after an entire day of combat, stealing one castle in the war of Emperium by himself while taking an absurd amount of damage.

"From the intelligence that we gathered he is an expert against armored targets, mastered the art of killing with one single strike not mattering how thick is the armor of his target, soft targets are even more defenseless." The paladin continued. "He is fast and strikes hard where it hurts, the best way of subduing him is with the extensive use of instant cast sorcery and high agility attackers with high defense and vitality, from the study of the former fort of the Wasted Years guild he is at least expert in close quarters combat, for us it will be a hindrance since we have to worry about hitting our companions, we might trouble the other in closed quarters, a tactical advantage that he is know to explore. Each and every one of you do a final check on your gear, check your inventory for potions and replacement weapons, he is also good in breaking or disarming the enemy."

The group acknowledges the order and they start to do a final checking on their equipment. The paladin look at them without showing any emotion, as much he wants to see them emerging victorious he is realist, the group was composed of professionals, high level adventurers loyal to the Crown, but their levels weren't as high as the paladin would like in such dangerous enterprise, they all are in level 99 but the paladin would prefer transcendent warriors with the level above 110, but he couldn't gather a group of that level because it would call too much attention.

They would later meet a separate group of mercenaries also loyal to the Crown, assassin cross, gunslingers, Tae Kwon Do class fighters, and a rogue, the total number of the two groups when joined in one would be of fifty, the paladin hoped that the number and quality would be enough to overpower the target, but even his hopes weren't high.

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Haruka stretched before reaching to her cold pineapple and mint juice, drinking it from a straw, she notices that Layla is tense. "For heaven's sake Layla relax." Haruka said to the silver haired knight. "We are in a desert beach hundreds of kilometers away from the nearest human other than our guild mates."

"I am not tense because I am wearing this……this…." Layla looks at the bikini that Haruka gave to her before they packed their bags. "That bikini." Haruka said with a smile. "Too bad that Benji isn't here to see how well you fill it." Indeed Layla is filling the bikini very, very well. "Then why you are tense?" Haruka asked.

"I am with this odd feeling." Layla answered vaguely. Atsuko who was near tanning in her own bikini overhears the conversation while lying on her bath towel. "That something is wrong, I just can't put my finger on it." Atsuko could see the knight with her left hand on her left side, on her waist height where the hilt of her sword would be, Atsuko could tell that the lack of the familiar comforting hardness of the sword hilt in her hand was making Layla even more nervous.

'Not even Layla herself noticed yet.' Atsuko said to herself. 'Benji did but he watches Layla very attentively, Layla is very sensitive about things, she can tell when things are wrong.' Atsuko smiled carelessly tracing circles in the sand with her forefinger. 'She sensed about me and was worried about Benji. But what would be making her like that? Sure she is so sensitive that even when is something unimportant she worries when far from Benji.'

"Maybe you are just making excuses to try get back to the castle to be with Benji." Haruka teased the silver haired knight, Haruka knew that from the originally guild members that became Benji's lovers Layla was his favorite, she couldn't help in getting jealous of her.

"I am not making excuses!" Layla exclaimed. "If I wanted to go I would go and no one would stop me!" And it was true, since the transcendency of Benji, Layla and Atsuko other members transcended with the Valkyrie's aid, Haruka was one of them but even with the other transcendent members on her side it would be hard to stop Layla from leaving, just Atsuko could match Layla in sheer offensive power, that leaving out Benji, but with Benji there Layla would obey him in whatever he said no matter what.

Atsuko wonders in what to do, while Layla's instincts were accurate they weren't right one hundred percent of the times, and there are other reasons that could make Layla tense and uneasy before she realized that it was something else, and with the frequency that the four of them share Benji's bed it wasn't so far of the reality.

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"Oji-san I brought you some fish for tonight's sashimi." Benji said entering in one of Amatsu's restaurants, it was one of the oldest and was rather small even thought was always filled with regulars. "That is the pink horned salmon!" The old man exclaimed seeing the large amount of fish tied in a string that Benji was carrying. "They are very rare and are a delicacy!"

"Then tonight's dinner will be good." Benji commented with a smile. "Make for me a large dinner and you can keep everything else." "You got a deal as always Himura-sama." The old man said. "If you keep bringing such rare fish to my restaurant in such steady rate I will have to ask you to be a regular supplier."

Benji laughed. "Sorry oji-san but this is just until next Saturday." Benji replied. "I am just fishing for hobby since the girls are away. When they get back I won't have time for fishing since I will be back to work." "It is a shame." The old man commented taking the fish. "Such sized fish would be well paid for, especially pink horned salmons and tiger sweet water tunas. They are very hard to find, they only swim in lakes in very dangerous places."

Benji nodded agreeing, the guild's dungeon is indeed a very dangerous place, he could only fish there because his flee was so high that nothing could hit him and if they did he soaked up the damage easily while killing the source quickly, it wasn't a quiet fishing spot as the ones back in his home world, but then it was calm, fresh, discreet and peaceful on its own way.

"I will wait on the usual place." Benji said pointing to an empty table. "It won't take long." The old man replied with a nod. Benji moves to the table and sits down pulling a book from his jacket, it was already routine, it started on his loner days before meeting Alexis and Isis, and later forming the guild, he used to eat there everyday.

End of the chapter nineteen:

Author explanation corner:

Strangling: Suffocation isn't a pretty death, as mentioned on the story the muscles relax because the lack of oxygen, and it takes more than two minutes to kill someone. It isn't as fast or pretty as seen in movies.

Changing guild leaders: Equivalent to an impeachment, there are certain circumstances to be met before having grounds to remove the leader of the position, I will list some of them later:

Vacation: Let's admit after everything that happened everyone deserved a vacation.

Fishing: Just plain and normal fishing, Benji went out of his way for a good spot and getting the gear. The fishes were changed to fit the world, after all if a world have jelly made monsters it would have odd fishes too.


	21. Ambushed

Hi this is Benji Himura I am starting a new fanfic. I don't own Ragnarok online I also don't own the characters of that story or the plot; taking out the changes that I will make and the characters that I will create. I own Benji Himura and others characters that will show up in the story. It might be violence and sex in the story so if you are underage of seventeen are warned the content might be too improper to your age. Read by your own will and risk. In anyway enjoy the story.

Signed: Benji Himura

"Text" Talked sentences.

'Text' Thoughts.

-Text- Sounds effects.

(Text) Talked sentences in a foreign language

: Text: Messages show in an electronic screen or written.

**Text**: something being recalled, flashbacks, scenes being replayed.

_Text_: a detail found in a location, scene, person, recording and images that originally wasn't there.

Chapter twenty: Ambushed

Benji was virtually unarmed. Comparing to his usual gear Benji was naked; he was wearing only a pair of comfortable soft leather boots, denim trousers, a t-shirt and a leather jacket. He was after all in a vacation, all of his gears are in his room together with his pets, both Tsugumi and Ruri couldn't go to the beach with the others, Tsugumi and sun aren't a good combination and it was the same with Ruri, the two demon girls who lived their entire lives hidden from the sun suffer from direct exposure to strong sunlight.

Benji was carrying the dinner for his two cute pets, Tsugumi didn't want to leave and Ruri decided to make her company, Benji didn't minded, he was actually happy that his pets are keeping themselves busy and distracted. Tsugumi still acted as if she was a prideful princess but she was more easygoing and her act wasn't as stiff as it once was.

Ruri didn't really changed since her 'capture' she is still cheerful, active and peppy, but she was a little more mature, not much of a change but enough to be noticed, after all you notices when a irresponsible girl becomes a little responsible, even thought she still eats rotten and spoilt food, Benji couldn't complain about waste food since Ruri feasted with gusto in whatever happened to spoil in the fridge.

Idly walking on the path to the castle Benji ignores the stray monsters that move around the area, they aren't a threat for him. But Benji could feel an uneasiness in the air, a tension that normally isn't there, he could tell that something isn't right, it wasn't an unfamiliar feeling, he was used to feel those vibes rather often.

It was sakki, killing intent coming from humans, he couldn't say for sure how many people were hiding on the cherry forest, but he knew by the intensity that were more than fifteen. 'So much for wanting to bring dinner for Tsugumi and Ruri.' Benji thought while stashing the bento on his inventory.

"So you people are coming or not?" Benji asked looking to what he feels to be the higher spot of killing intent on the woods. "Just get over with this, I want to get back home and watch my soap opera."

"What the hell is he talking about?" A hunter asked to a priest. The priest shrugged also confused, but the fact that Benji knows that they are there and isn't showing signs of fear or of moving away scares them.

One crusader unable to fight back his temper rushes towards Benji, it was just what Benji was waiting for. A venom knife cuts the air and nails itself on the small gap between the crusader's Iron Cain and the end of the chest plate, adding to the strike Benji lands a flying kick on the pommel of the knife burying even deeper on the neck of the man.

He was dead before hitting the ground and becomes a source of a sharp blade to Benji take. The attackers enraged with the dead of the crusader charge at Benji disregarding the paladin's orders. It was all that Benji wanted, he knew that the ones closer to that crusader would attack in sheer rage and others would follow to back them up.

Benji doesn't have trouble in dodging the arrows fired by the archers, in the other hand the attackers were hit by them, Benji almost laughed at the stupidity of making two lines of attackers around him, it was easy to anyone to foresee that arrows would hit the opposite line when not hitting the target, but he wasn't going to complain about that, it is less work for him.

Benji brings down the sword against a knight, the sword cleave helm landing on his neck, it wasn't deep but it severed an major artery, Benji spins his body and slams down the blade against the head of a crusader, the result is the breakdown of the helmet and the head being split in the half as a log.

Benji leaps to his left, a backstab misses him and hits the dead crusader in the chest, Benji doesn't waste time and swings the sword horizontally hitting the rogue's left side with the edge, before an attacker could hit him Benji already left the spot and was in another hitting someone else.

"Dammit that is why I told them to not rush against him recklessly." The paladin cursed seeing his underlings being killed or maimed one after the other. "No wonder he did what he did." The assassin cross commented casually. "Just look at him; worse armed, outnumbered and unarmored he is killing them with ease. It is a shame that his loyalties doesn't lie to the order."

The second group joins the battle, Benji feels the increase in the pressure of the attackers, the scent of gun smoke reaches his nose, the bullets might be slightly troublesome but it also means more enemies being hit by mistake, he decides to add to that number.

Throwing the dented sword on the face of a blacksmith Benji draws two pistols from his inventory and start shooting, he knows that he can hit, even with low dexterity it would be easy to hit anything in the mob. Moving with short steps Benji fires left and right, turning and moving, avoiding swords, arrows, sorcery and bullets, while his bullets hit their targets.

Benji knew that he wasn't avoiding everything, around ten percent of the hits are connecting, but he still minimizes the damage by twisting, turning and moving around. The mass around him makes hard for the attackers to move, an advantage that Benji uses on his favor.

In few minutes Benji had caused so much damage that the remaining attackers back away from him, few hunters, a couple wizards, one paladin, two knights, seven gunslingers, one assassin cross and two star gladiators stand over their feet, everyone else was dead or dying at Benji's feet.

Benji calmly feeds his pistols with fresh magazines. "So what now?" Benji asked casually. "You will call it a night and leave the damage as it is? Some of the fallen can still make it if treated in the next minutes. Or you want to keep fighting, knowing that sixty of you couldn't take me down and the seventeen of you for sure can't do it."

"It isn't like you are in your best shape." The assassin cross replied. "You got ten arrows on your back and at least twenty bullets on you, add to that a dozen or so slashes." "I soaked up worse than that." Benji answered casually, it was truth anyway. "And killed a lord of death backed only by a monk with worse wounds than this, that before I was an assassin cross."

Now transcend class they feel even more scared of him, lord of death was a famous hard to kill MVP. "Now you have two choices, tell me who ordered this and leave this place walking on your feet." Benji said pointing to them with his right hand pistol. "Or not tell me anything which will make me attack you, kill all the second jobs and keep the other two alive to use as information source after I torture the living hell out of you. What is going to be?"

The gunslingers and start gladiators look at the assassin cross. "I don't know who ordered." She said. "Neither does my men, we are just hired arms. The paladin must know something; he is the one who contracted me." "Sonia!" the paladin exclaimed enraged.

"Sorry about that Frank but I took far too much damage." Sonia replied. "You didn't paid us enough for this. Look around and wake up, we can't defeat him; we couldn't when we started and we can't know. He knows where I am even when cloaked, his flee is higher than mine, his hit much higher than the hunters and they are equipped with triple ancient bows, and they can't hit him more than a couple of times. And it isn't like we managed to hit him very often."

"True but he is still long enough to fall on the trap." The paladin commented, before Benji could react he is surrounded by a blue light; it wasn't an offensive spell but a warp portal.

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Haruka looks at the fire in silence, she was feeling uneasy about something, and she could tell that Layla wasn't all that relaxed either. Makie watches the roasting fishes while the others chat, drink and have fun. It was the third day of the vacation and they decided to barbecue fish and vegetables for the dinner.

But Makie noticed that Layla, Atsuko and Haruka were lightly tense, even Maria looked worried about something, but didn't said anything at all. Without anyone noticing Atsuko is sending a message to Helen, for the last hours she started to feel that something was wrong and the feeling got stronger, instead of just leaving and worrying the others she decided to ask to someone trustworthy to check on things.

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Benji licks his lips, moistening them lightly and tasting the salty sweat that he worked with his previous killing, with guns on his hands Benji looks around just to confirm; he is surrounded by a sizable amount of female knights and lord knights, and he was heavily outnumbered and under armed, again.

The paladin that led the first assault is far from Benji's location, they are separated by a wall of armored and armed women, the assassin cross and nearly all of the others are gone. Benji knew that he was neck deep in trouble. Of the four thousand rounds that he was carrying with his two pistols he had expend over three thousand of them, he also had one hundred venom knives stashed, and he used seventy of those, not enough to kill his way out of there.

Benji fishes a handful of magazines from his inventory and throws it on the air; firing at them Benji turns the magazines into fragmentation bombs with enough smoke and shrapnel to cover a tactical retreat to the nearest door that he could find. The horde of women charge after him when recovering from the surprise of the sudden explosion, it wasn't enough to kill any of them.

Benji got a sizable lead over the horde of female knights, but unlike them he doesn't know the terrain and that is a major disadvantage, trusting in his luck and instinct Benji moves around cloaked, it would give him enough cover and leverage to move around, find an empty room and plan an attack plan.

It doesn't take long to Benji find a reasonable shelter, actually the kitchen of the castle. Smiling Benji looks around for something to block the door with, settling for a chair, three knives and a couple of pots Benji starts to assemble some kitchen ware and food that can be used as improvised weapons.

"Well for sure the kitchen here isn't as supplied as mine but there is flour here." Benji commented picking a sack of flour. "No gas, no electricity, no aluminium foil, but has been a while since I saw a firewood oven." Using the flour and some paper Benji makes small balls of flour knowing very well what happens when airborne flour is ignited.

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Helen sighed annoyed, the Silver Moon castle is locked shut, no lights are on, at least she can't see any, she can faintly hear the sounds of the guardians moving inside the castle, but no signals of anyone being inside the castle. She is aware that over ninety percent of the guild is in a desert island in a vacation, but Benji was supposed to be there with his two cute pet demons.

Using her Grand Cross Helen knocks in the massive gates once again, but as in the other seven times there wasn't a reply. With a sigh she leaves the gate, the castle was shut and Atsuko had warned her that Benji left several traps armed, not the usual hunter traps but his own versions by far more lethal.

She moves to the city, asking about him there would lead to some clues of his whereabouts, how a man taller than the average can't be noticed? Well other than using his cloaking skills.

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Benji curses the rain, it was thick and heavy drops of cold water, it soaked the remaining flour bombs making them useless for flashovers of fire, but then he recalled a school competition, a simple game of ring catching using the mouth first in a bowl of water and then in a bowl of flour, and how annoying it was having the wet flour on his face.

Benji isn't all that pleased with the effect of the wet flour on the face of his newer target but it was satisfactory since the knight is struggling to remove it from her face leaving her defenseless. It was just a drop in the bucket when comparing to the large amount of still able to attack knights, especially since Benji doesn't want to kill them, he felt that they were as surprised as he was with the sudden appearance there, but mob control is hard so Benji fled first before trying to talk, it was safer that way.

Juliet was enraged, that one invader was putting a fight that was making her knights look like a bunch of untrained little girls, but she couldn't get rid of the feeling that something was very wrong in that scene; he wasn't seriously hurting anyone while they are trying to kill him if they can't capture him, the most aggressive action that he took was the attack that preceded his retreat, and that attack hardly hurt anyone.

"STOP!" She shouted over the sound of the battle. Benji saw all the knights stopping their attacks and he halted his, perhaps it was the chance that he was waiting for. "Clear the path." She said to her subordinates. "I will speak with him." Benji can tell that the knights are a bit uneasy but they obey their leader.

"Why you invaded us?" Juliet asked to Benji. "I was warped here against my will." Benji answered. "Some paladin guy ambushed me in Amatsu and then I was warped here. Last time that I saw him he was near one of the walls. If I was an enemy and was going to attack you why I would come without good equips and items?"

Juliet nodded agreeing, she concluded the very same thing, he wasn't there to attack them, and she looks around and finds the mentioned paladin over one of the walls. "Lacey." Juliet hissed recognizing the paladin. "I thought that his name was Frank." Benji commented.

"It is." Juliet replied. "But he is backed by a noble named Lacey. So you are on his bad side too, that makes us friends then." "I guess that it does but I don't recall killing, hitting, beating or humiliating anyone with that name." Benji commented. "Anyway I hitted, beated, killed and humiliated so many people that I can't really keep track of everyone. What you did?"

"Refused to join his mercenary army, god knows what he has planned, but me and my comrades are a free order." Juliet answered. "What about we get Frankie over there, take the tin can of armor that he is wearing and torture the fucker until he tells us everything that he knows?" Benji asked casually. "Sounds like a plan for me." Juliet answered. "You need some steel?"

"I wouldn't mind, you have some extra on you?" Benji replied. "Always." Juliet answered handing to Benji a sword. "I like variety." Benji smiled taking the sword, he had to admit but he was taking a liking of her already. "Hey I don't know this one." Benji commented looking at the jagged two handed sword, it was broad and long.

"It is a new sword." Juliet explained. "It is called Muscle Cutter, you like it?" "Yeah." Benji answered with a grin, that sword was evil and he liked, his right arm practically cheered when gripping on the hilt. Frank knew that he was in serious trouble, the last remnants of his troops wouldn't be able to defeat the entire order when backed by Benji and Juliet, and so he used his last resort a bloody branch to summon a powerful monster to do the job for him.

"I don't know that either!" Benji exclaimed seeing a huge dragon appearing in the middle of the courtyard. "Neither do I but we have to kill it." Juliet replied. "Any bright ideas?" "You have Kafra access?" Benji asked. "Yes, she is inside the castle, why?" Juliet answered, Benji smiled. "Well keep that thing busy." Benji answered running to the castle. "It is time to bring in the big guns."

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Saya finds Atsuko sited in the veranda of large beach house looking at the starry sky. "I wanted to ask this have a while, why you were tense during the dinner?" Saya asked to the more experienced and slightly older champion. "Not only you but Layla, Haruka and Maria. They won't answer my questions and I don't buy the theory that is because Mana and Shina being here."

"We are worried about Benji." Atsuko answered. "Benji can be quite reckless when left alone. And we are with bad feelings, not the bad of 'oh my god it is an emergency' kind of bad feeling, it is less bad than that." "And since he told us to stay here and have fun, you, Layla and Erika being high ranked within the guild as well role models for the younger and less experienced ones none of you can go out and check if isn't anything." Saya said casually.

"Mostly that." Atsuko replied. "Layla, Haruka, me and in a lesser way Erika, none of us wanted to be here without Benji, Erika also loves Layla so for her Benji is more like a bonus, but for the others Benji is everything." "So Benji is your everything too?" Saya asked, she never heard Atsuko telling her feelings in public for any of the girls, maybe to Layla in secret.

"Yes." Atsuko answered, it wasn't a lie, Benji was her everything and much more. "Sure I wasn't rescued as Layla and some of you, but I do love him deeply." Saya remained in silence for a while. "What you will do about the bad feeling of yours?" Saya finally asked. "I asked to a beloved friend to check on him for me." Atsuko answered. "But as I guessed Benji isn't in the castle, but outside enjoying some time for himself."

"Well considering the lack of private time and privacy that he normally has I am not surprised." Saya commented. "Neither am I." Atsuko replied. "Benji love us but I do know that is too much affection and closure between the four of us focused solely on him, trust me he is juggling well his time to fit us in. But I know Benji better than any of you, I traveled alone with him for months, I saw some sides of him that none of you did, perhaps only Layla saw some. Either way I know that Benji doesn't really share his pain with others."

Saya nodded agreeing she noticed that too, before starting his relationship with Layla and the others Benji was pretty much closed and kept things for himself, she remembered in spotting him in desert areas of the castle nursing a bottle of sake or cherry wine while gazing at the distance and recalled how he looked on those times.

In another part of the house Layla is looking over her sleeping sister and Maria, the two girls are the ones having most of the fun in the vacation, followed by Mutsumi and Saeki; it was their first time having that kind of experience.

"You sound like you fear that he might run to do something stupid." Saya commented. "He isn't like that." "Who was the man that chased an entire guild all by himself to rescue a total stranger from a harm that he didn't knew what it was?" Atsuko asked in a plain tone. Saya opens her mouth to protest but then when considering everything some people might see his actions as stupidity, reckless charging all by himself against an unknown number of enemies within their own home, a place where they have total and absolute advantage and terrain knowledge, so she doesn't say anything and shuts her open mouth.

"I admit that it was how he helps others without asking anything back that first got me interested on him." Atsuko added. "But after hearing and seeing what I saw I think that Benji doesn't really see the line between courage and recklessness, or maybe he just doesn't care about it."

Saya had to admit that Atsuko had another strong point there. "I think that Benji does know the limit between them." Atsuko continued. "But sometimes, depending on certain circumstances he doesn't seem to care about it. Just remember what he did when Tsugumi were attacked."

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"He is not coming back!" Valka one of Juliet's lieutenants shouted to her leader as they try fighting the huge monster. "Give him some more time!" Juliet shouted back. "He isn't coming back, why he would ask about a Kafra if not to warp out of here?" Valka replied.

"Every woman clear the way and get cover now!" Benji shouted running dragging a spiked metal ball of the size of soccer ball with a chain on it. "What good that flail will do?!" Valka asked in disbelief. "This is a hammer!" Benji answered stopping and rapping his knuckles on the ball before holding tightly on the chain with both hands and spinning his entire body and the heavy metal ball.

Benji inwardly counts to five and aiming the ball at the chest of the dragon, the ball flies straight at the creature with the chain flailing behind it. The ball impacts against the scaled chest, the spikes piercing the scales and the tissue below nailing the ball on the dragon. "Everyone get cover now!" Benji shouted running to a nearby pillar. The army of knights is confused and hesitated, that hesitation cost them greatly.

The ball explodes sending shrapnel around the yard, many of the knights closer to the dragon scream as the shrapnel impacts on their armor clad bodies. "What in name of heavens what that?!" Juliet asked to Benji who is lying next to her, her voice barely is heard with the howls of pain of the dragon. "Spike bomb, think about it as a metal marine sphere." Benji answered. "But more dangerous."

Forty kilos of gunpowder and steel ball bearings tightly packed inside a ten kilos lead sphere with steel spikes, one of Benji's specials that he hardly used or carried around. Benji grinned seeing the gaping hole on the dragon's chest, the design worked just as he expected to, the dented spikes held the heavy bomb in place on the target, of course cooking it off before tossing also aided to the effect since the dragon couldn't remove it in time, a matter of fact is that the dragon lost both of his 'hands' to the blast when trying to remove it.

"So you have another of those?" Juliet asked looking at Benji. "Nope." Benji answered. "That one was a prototype, but I have few others." Standing up Benji fishes from a shoulder bag a bomb similar to the one that he used when killing the rogue and the alchemist of the now late Wasted Years guild. "These are weaker but easier to carry when compared to their younger brother."

Snapping his fingers Benji lithe the fuse and throws it on the dragon aiming to the open hole on the chest, since it was already open the damage would be greater when exploding on his insides. Benji get cover again before the explosion. "You know I am curious where you got those things?" Juliet asked after the second explosion.

"I make them." Benji answered. "But I don't use them very often, just in emergencies." "Well that dragon for sure is an emergency." Juliet commented. "What about other equips?" Benji sighed, he was still wearing his casual clothes. "Someone shut the access of your Kafra to the storage just after I got this bag." Benji answered. "I couldn't get my own equipment from there."

Juliet peeks at the dragon. "Well I guess that it won't be needed, the thing is nearly dead, we should finish it off." She commented before shouting orders to her subordinates. Benji scans the walls and find Frank stunned on the ground, caught in the first blast by shrapnel, not enough to pierce his armor at that distance but enough to stun him.

While Juliet moves to the dragon Benji move to the paladin pulling a crowbar from the bag. "Man I would never guess that I would actually use this." Benji chuckled feeling the weight of the seven kilos heavy steel rod. "Don't worry tin man, mister Benji has a nice can opener here, I will take you from that uncomfortable and heavy armor." Benji said with a grin while patting with the hook on his left hand. "When I am done peeling that hard shell the softies will be exposed for use, you know what they say, harder the shell tastier the treat. Let's see what kind of tasty information that you will be giving us."

End of the chapter twenty:

Author explanation corner:

Flour bombs: When throwing normal flour, any kind wheat flour in the air and lighting it you see a small explosion as the thin air born grains ignite in a flash. It can be very, very dangerous and in large amount the flour explosion can cause severe damage, I am not sure of how serious in objects, but it is quite bad in people. Hair burning, skin burns and maybe clothes igniting, not pretty.

The bombs used on the chapter are nothing more than a fistful of flour inside a piece of paper and then ignited. Don't try this at home, and if you do don't blain me, I told to not do so.

School competition: Well I am not sure in other countries but in Brazil in rare events the schools does events like that for a holiday, it is composed of simple games and depending of the holiday are games to be played with a partner (on father's or mother's day).

The ring finding game is as described, you have to catch a ring inside a bowl or tray of water without using your hands and then do the same with a bowl or tray of flour, the result is a face full of wet flour and a mouthful of flour, not a pleasant thing, it is a pain to wash out your mouth after the game.

Anyway the sticky capabilities of wet flour are easy to reproduce, wet your hand and then stick it on flour, with more water it gets sticker, of course too much and it is washed away or becomes too thin.

Muscle cutter: It is a new sword from a new patch. Really nice piece of work with two slots that auto cast by chance decrease agility and has a chance of causing external bleeding.

Juliet: A lord knight with her own 'order' more details on her and the order in the next chapters.

Dragon: A big wingless dragon that doesn't breathes fire; after all in a wide world we didn't see all the monsters in the game.

Spike bomb: As described in the store, two halves of the outer shell are screwed together with the package of explosive and shrapnel inside, a ten seconds fuse is fitted in a hole in one of the halves, the chain is imbedded on the lead so are the dented spikes, it is an overgrown hammer like those show in cartoons and used in the Olympic games.

It is part of Benji's emergency bag number 32 for quick use, with a healthy imagination, tons of unknown enemies Benji created and stocked several item bags (I don't know the name of the style of bags that sailors used to use to carry their clothes and personal belongings but it is that style) with several things that he thinks that he might need in particular scenarios.

More items of the bag will be show in the next chapter, confirmed items of this chapter: spark ringed gloves x1, spike bomb x1, anti-personal hand grenade x1, and crowbar x1.


	22. Message in red

Hi this is Benji Himura I am starting a new fanfic. I don't own Ragnarok online I also don't own the characters of that story or the plot; taking out the changes that I will make and the characters that I will create. I own Benji Himura and others characters that will show up in the story. It might be violence and sex in the story so if you are underage of seventeen are warned the content might be too improper to your age. Read by your own will and risk. In anyway enjoy the story.

Signed: Benji Himura

"Text" Talked sentences.

'Text' Thoughts. 

-Text- Sounds effects.

(Text) Talked sentences in a foreign language

: Text: Messages show in an electronic screen or written.

**Text**: something being recalled, flashbacks, scenes being replayed.

_Text_: a detail found in a location, scene, person, recording and images that originally wasn't there.

Chapter twenty one: Message in red

"Your turn." Juliet said to Benji with a sigh. "Do your best." "Bring me a hammer, nails, leather gloves, a full and lit brassier, metal spikes, sandpaper, salt, pepper and alcohol." Benji said to one of the girls outside the 'interrogation' room. "A barrel filled with water too, and a chicken sandwich." "What you will do with those?" Juliet asked to Benji.

"Use everything other than the sandwich on him what else?" Benji replied. "And the sandwich?" Juliet asked confused. "I am hungry." Benji answered. "You can't torture someone with an empty stomach." "I am surprised that you have stomach to eat after what we did to him." Juliet commented while one of her subordinates leaves the room.

"You know I wasn't always like this, but I am pretty much insensible by now." Benji said with a shrug. "And isn't like you gave him a horrible torture, beating them just takes you this far."

"And how using those things that you asked will do better than this?" Juliet asked sitting on a chair. "Have you ever rubbed a cut with alcohol?" Benji asked back. "Yeah, to clean, it burns and stings, hurt quite badly." Juliet answered. "Now imagine using sandpaper in sensitive body parts and then applying a mix of alcohol, salt and pepper on it." Benji said with a smile. "So Frankie boy you want to try that out in the lower head?"

Benji noticed how badly Frank paled at the idea but he remained in silence. "Well I always wanted to see how much pain a man can take when punished on that area." Juliet commented. "Go right ahead and don't mind me, I will be taking notes." Three girls arrive carrying everything that Benji asked for.

Cracking his knuckles before putting on the gloves Benji looks at the items now placed over a large and sturdy wood table. "So many choices, well let's start with something simple, hammer and nails." Benji said putting on the gloves. "Hey Juli you mind if I nail him to the wall?"

"I don't." Juliet answered. "But stop calling me like that." Benji chuckled taking the hammer and ten nails that he holds between his teeth. Benji touches the tip of one of the nails on Frank's right hand thumb. "Well Frank as you noticed you are gagged since the girls finished with you, and I am not taking it out for a while." Benji said casually. "Let me explain how this will be, I will be driving these four inches long nails on your fingers, right on the bone, I will do that to all the fingers, when I am done with those I will remove the gag and see how willing to talk you are, if you aren't willing I will keep nailing you until I run out of nails or grow bored of hammering you, whatever happens first."

Juliet noticed how Frank was trying to break free of his chains. 'Well it is amazing but that speech hit him pretty badly.' Juliet mused while Benji starts the task of driving nails on Frank's fingers.

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Helen sighed annoyed and sits on a table in a restaurant, not knowing that is Benji's favorite restaurant. Ordering some sake and sashimi he decides to rest and call it a night, she can't locate Benji, and even Benji being a very popular and famous figure in Amatsu no one knows where he is.

"I don't believe on this." Helen overheard a discussion from a close table. "Sixty well trained, armed and high level adventurers being killed that easily." Helen discreetly peeks at the table, the conversation picked her interest. "It was a miracle that in our group we didn't lose anyone, the safety worked, just god knows how bad it would be for them if they lost their arms and legs." 'That is odd; I don't remember any monster that cuts limbs.' Helen thought seeing the female assassin cross drunkenly complaining.

"I am a level 255 assassin cross, I am experienced and seasoned! Why I couldn't hit him or flee from his attacks!" Sonia, not that Helen knew who she was whined. "And why he could see where I was? My cloaking skills are perfect! I can steal the underwear of a knight without he even noticing!"

"Sonia we are speaking about the knight killer." A star gladiator said to the assassin cross. "The one who fought in even grounds against the golden knight, a lord knight with the level three times higher than his. That guy is inhuman. A monster in human shape."

'Okay they are speaking about Benji, and that is clear as day, no one else has the nickname knight killer and fought with Dante.' Helen pays even more attention at the conversation. "I don't care what he did! I can't accept that someone in a lower level than me can defeat me like that!" Sonia continued, she kept her cool on the field but now she was expressing her true feelings. "There has to be a secret something that we don't know, no one can do that kind of damage without something boosting him like crazy! And Frank! That idiot should suffer for his stupidity! I wouldn't have crossed paths with the knight killer if wasn't for the contract!"

"But Frank warped away with the remnants of his troops and the blue dragon." The star gladiator said trying to calm his leader. "By now the blue dragon must be captured or killed." "I seriously doubt it." Sonia spat bitterly. "That kind of evil doesn't die, you saw what he did on us, he can't be stopped!"

Helen snickered and eats her dinner, Benji got involved on something and had already dealt with part of it, now she would wait for the assassin cross to get drunker and then politely asked for information while using her cross and few more things.

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Benji drinks some cold water during a break of his 'polite questioning'. "You know I never knew that you could use leather bag like that." Juliet commented casually. "I used a replacement for a different bag, it wasn't all that effective but still worked." Benji replied; it would be better if he had a plastic bag to cover Frank's head but when you don't have it you use something else.

"So Frank ready to talk or should I use the sandpaper?" Benji asked casually. "This is a quite harsh one, it will hurt a lot, and as a man I know that you don't want to feel these sharp and unpleasant crystals scratching your sensitive lower head." Frank's eyes go wide as Benji holds a small cut of sandpaper, a two by two centimeters square of sandpaper.

"Gag him up Juli." Benji said to the knight. "He is a brave, he won't spill now, it is time to 'convince' him again." "Stop calling me Juli." Juliet said while moving to Frank. "Stop!" Frank screamed. "Just stop! Don't let that monster get close of me! I tell you anything! Everything! But don't let him get near me! Take that paper away from him!"

"The paper stays." Benji replied. "I will take it away when you start telling us everything." "What he said." Juliet added. "Unless you tell everything that you know and I am convinced that is true and is everything I will let him use that paper on you."

Benji and Juliet hears what Frank knows about Lacey, the paladin doesn't stop talking and takes one hour to him finish everything. "You know more details than that is impossible to get." Juliet commented. "I agree, now that we know everything, including the guards' rotation we can counter." Benji added. "So you do it or I do?" "You mind if I do?" Juliet asked. "I have a bit of a grudge." "Go ahead." Benji replied.

"What? But I told you everything! We had a deal!" Frank exclaimed seeing the knight walking towards him with a knife. "The deal was that he wouldn't use the paper on you." Juliet replied. "Not that we would let you live."

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Helen sighed slightly annoyed, she had finished asking to Sonia what she knew; a bothersome task but with the aid of alcohol was made easier. She learned Benji were warped to some distant location, but Sonia didn't know where it was. Helen doesn't know if she tells what she learned to Atsuko or not, if she tells that Benji was missing then hell will break loose, the entire guild will march ready to war and they will kill everything between them and Benji.

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"This one will do it?" Juliet asked handing to Benji a blue gem. "It will." Benji answered. "I will go get my equipment, you get a small party ready, just the best ones from your group; we gather here in one hour and then move on."

"Okay." Juliet replied. "I was almost forgetting." Benji said handing the borrowed sword to the knight. "Thanks for lending me it even thought I didn't use it much." "You can keep it, I have ten more like that." Juliet replied with a smile. "Besides you might need it later tonight."

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Benji arrived in front of the Silver Moon castle, he had a long night and it had barely started. "Sakura open up." Benji said walking straight to the shut gates, the gates open silently giving enough space for him to pass by the doors. "If I knew that was that easy hours ago." Helen commented looking at Benji from the outside of the castle walls.

Benji sighed and turn around to face the high priestess. "Is there any reason for this sudden visit?" Benji asked trying to be polite, but it slightly harsh because his current state. "Atsuko asked me to check on you." Helen answered. "She had a bad feeling, and from what I can see she wasn't wrong at all."

"In a regular day I would ask you to come in and offer you something to drink." Benji said. "But as you can see I am a walking pincushion and I have pressing business, mind in coming back another day?" Helen chuckled. "You know normal people would ask for a healing at this point." She said amused. "You are sure about that question."

"Quite sure." Benji answered. "And tell to Atsuko that I am fine, I just had a run in with a small MVP or something. Now excuse me I have two pets to feed." Helen remained there while Benji entered in the castle, she wouldn't barge in, but she wouldn't leave either.

"I am back." Benji said when entering on the castle itself. "Welcome back." Ruri replied running towards him, Tsugumi is floating behind her without much of a hurry. "I brought you two some dinner." Benji said pulling the two boxes from his inventory. "Share it."

"What happened?" Tsugumi asked when seeing the details of Benji's state. "The line of the restaurant was a killer." Benji replied. "Anyway I have to go out again for a while; I should be back sometime between morning or noon."

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After pulling the last arrow from his back and putting on his equipment Benji leaves the castle and finds Helen sited next to the gate. "So it isn't over yet, right?" Helen asked standing up. "You only came to resupply." "I don't like leaving unfinished business." Benji answered. "And this has nothing to do with you."

"True." Helen replied. "But you are Atsuko's business and that make my business, I won't let you just walk out of here and march to certain death without doing anything about it." "I am not going to die." Benji said. "Just let the girls rest, they deserve a break."

"And you don't?" Helen asked. "Don't you think that is too convenient that few days before your second WoE you are attacked?" "I already thought about that and I don't care." Benji answered. "I plan on writing down a really nice message, and for that I need lots and lots red ink, and I can't forget some white too, you will see tomorrow."

"You actually think that I will let you walk away like that?" Helen asked brandishing her cross. "And you really think that you can stop me?" Benji asked casually, he adjusts his sunglasses with his middle finger. "Teleport."

"What!" Helen exclaimed surprised as he vanishes, she casts Runwatch and confirms that Benji had truly teleported away, and the castle was locked shut once again, with a sigh the priestess wonders in what to do and say to Atsuko.

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"You are a bit early." Juliet said when meeting Benji after getting the word that he had reappeared on the middle of the courtyard. "I just left things pre-packed so it was way faster than it is for you." Benji replied. "How much longer you need before we can leave?"

"Twenty minutes." Juliet answered. "We need way more armor than you, so we need more time to get ready." "I will be waiting." Benji said sitting against a wall. "Let me know when you gals are ready." Juliet nodded and moves back to the barracks.

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"So you think that you can get past the gates?" Juliet asked to Benji as they look at the heavily guarded gate of Lacey's manor. "Sure." Benji replied walking straight to the gate. "He isn't going to cloak or something!" Linda, a lord knight with dark green hair exclaimed while Benji continue to move towards they guards without hesitation. "I won't try figuring him out." Juliet replied.

"Hey you." Benji called the two guards outside a stone guard house. "What?" The two armored guards armed with spears asked moving towards Benji. "What you want?" "To you to die." Benji replied producing two pistols from his sleeves and firing several times on the two men faces.

Benji runs to the guard house and the group can't see what is happening, but they can hear a mixture of gunshots and screams from the inside. "You know Juliet I am really, really happy that he isn't our enemy." Rosette a lord knight with orange hair said to the red haired lord knight. "And he is in our side."

"You aren't the only one." Juliet replied with a nod. "I am done." Benji called while leaving the house casually dusting his hands. "I also found the key, two maps and a bottle of wine." "We aren't thirsty right now." Juliet replied moving to him. "Girls by the love of God do not make anything to get us in his bad side. I am begging you." Juliet said turning to her comrades, they nod vigorously at her command.

"Dear god!" One of the lord knights exclaimed in horror when peeking inside the house, she turns to the other side and throws up. "I am really curious but at the same time I don't know if I want to look." Juliet said while aiding her comrade. "What did you do in there?"

Benji grinned while unlocking the gate. "Did you ever gutted game before?" Benji asked casually. "Well I just hanged them in their own intestines. You know we are trying to leave a message here." "Juliet we should move." Jessica said to the leader. "Those screams must have been heard by the guards inside."

"You girls go that way." Benji said while pointing to the east wing of the manor. "I will take the north wing. We meet somewhere in the between." "Okay." Juliet replied. "Don't make much of a mess." "And where is the fun in that?" Benji asked moving to the north wing.

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'And I thought that I was evil.' A not so unfamiliar voice spoke on Benji's mind. 'Shut the fuck up.' Benji replied while busy turning one men in twenty parts. 'Come on don't be so rude with me.' The voice replied. 'We are so close.'

'Shut up or I will eat a whole bucket of ice cream in one minute.' Benji shot back. 'Hey no need for the heavy artillery!' The voice exclaimed. 'Why can't a girl have some fun here?'

'As far as I know you are a male.' Benji said annoyed, every time that he was killing something the voice come to annoy him. 'Now shut up or I will send tentacle-sensei after you again.'

Benji could almost see the now female doppelganger paling at the threat. 'And as I said you are way more evil than I am.' She said in protest. 'Go on sensei.' Benji said, and then he could hear the screams from the doppelganger in his mind as it tries to flee from the tentacle demon. 'That will keep her quiet for a while.'

"Ahhh…the sweet sound of hentai." Benji sighed wistfully. "How I missed that, not that I am a fan of tentacle hentai but still." Benji hears a battle cry coming from behind and casually take a step to the side and points his closed fist at the direction of a charging knight.

The knight impacts hard against Benji's fist, pressing his palm with his closed fingers twice Benji releases two powerful, razor sharp and strong blades from the outer side of his wrist, the two blades easily dig their way through the knight's eyes, skull and brain, Benji pulls his hand slashing down and finishing the knight.

"Sneak attacks only work when you don't shout." Benji said casually while pulling back the claws, originally made by Ramirez but heavily altered by Benji and Makie, she would complain at everything that he asked her to build but she would do it every time since was a challenge.

Makie added four strong springs, one to each blade, Benji added more metal changing the shape and resilience of them, making them harder and stronger, in the end they was almost like the Predator's claws, the remaining two blades of each war glove are released in the direction of Benji's elbow, and when not used the blades are stored inside a metal case.

Benji sighed annoyed, he killed many guards but they kept coming holding on the hope of overwhelming him by sheer numbers. "So annoying." Benji muttered while killing more guards. "I wonder who I have to kill to finally get some peace in my life."

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Juliet jumps startled with a shriek of terror coming from the east side of the north wing. "How he can move that fast all by himself?" She wondered while her companions open the door to the next hall, Benji advanced twice faster than they are, and from the screams he was being rather cruel and creative with his kills.

The knights leap out of the way as a group of high wizards, alchemists and high priests run out of the other room as if the devil himself was chasing them. Recovering from their surprise the knights quickly kill that group and move on the reverse path of the fleeing adventurers.

"Please tell me that, that isn't a skull…" Rosette said in a weak voice backing away from the scene, covering her mouth with her hands, dropping her sword. Juliet stare at the scene, Benji with his right hand claws released, soaked and dripping blood, held loosely on his left hand a still wet human skull with the spine still connected on it, crudely stripped from the flesh.

His eyes covered by his hair, casting shadows on his face, making his eyes almost glowing white, the shadow of a smile on his lips as he walks towards a paladin who is vainly trying to hold his insides inside his tore open stomach. With the calm and precision of a horror movie killer Benji covers the distance between himself and his suffering victim that begs for mercy.

"Don't look!" Juliet exclaimed, ordering to her knights look away as Benji raises his right arm, readying the killing strike, she knew deep down that what would follow would be something shocking, and she was right as Benji proceeds to tear the armor from the paladin, throwing the skull away Benji holds the head of the paladin, forcing him to turn his back to him.

Juliet watches fascinated as Benji buries the two blades on the man's neck and with one clean swipe Benji cuts thirteen pairs of ribs, one layer of chain mail and fabric, while the paladin is still alive and screaming. Then Benji tears the head from the body effectively killing the swordsman.

"So what took you so long?" Benji asked throwing the head at Juliet's feet. "I am guessing the fact that my side had more enemies than yours." Juliet answered unfazed by the display, Benji looks over his shoulder, back at the direction that he came. "Well I am not so sure of that, but isn't like I counted how many I killed." Benji replied.

"Then how many you killed like that?" Juliet asked. "Twenty six." Benji answered. "I got the idea after I killed lots of them." "Since we are here to send a message." Juliet said recalling his earlier words. "Well then we should find Lacey and see what he thinks about our message."

"That before or after your girls recover?" Benji asked pointing to the knights behind Juliet, all of them fainted. "After." Juliet answered. "I don't want to leave them defenseless; there might be strays in the area."

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"The beach was nice but it is good to be back home." Layla said when entering on the Silver Moon castle. "Yes it is." Atsuko agreed as they move to the living area. "But isn't kind of quiet in here?" Haruka commented. "I mean other than the others chatting in the back."

"Well just with Benji and his pets here it is natural that is silent." Layla replied. "It is quieter than that." Haruka said. After few minutes Layla, Atsuko, Haruka and Erika find Tsugumi and Ruri in the dinning hall.

"Hey girls where is Benji?" Haruka asked to the two demon girls. "Gone." Tsugumi answered. "It has been three days since we last seen him, and he said that he would be back in the morning."

The four women tense at Tsugumi's words. "Hey there is a white haired high priestess by the gate." Leona said by the dinning room door. "And a red haired lord knight is walking this way too."

"Why I have this really bad feeling deep in the pit of my stomach?" Layla asked to the others. "We are with the same." Atsuko replied. "Let's move to the gate, Helen wants to tell us something, and I think that the knight is here for something too."

In five minutes the four of them are in the gate, at that time Juliet is standing in front of the gate too. After moments of uncomfortable silence Juliet is the one who breaks it. "I fought with Benji three days ago." She told to the others. "During the final battle he and a creator stepped inside an odd magic circle, since then I haven't heard from him. Before that battle he told me to come here today, at first it was to discuss few things between your guild and my order, after that fight I felt that it was the right thing let you know that he is gone."

End of the chapter twenty one:

Author explanation corner:

Torture: There are many ways of doing, countless objects to use, add that to a creative mind, being raised in a generation fed on action, war and horror movies, and you can get really inventive with ways of torturing people.

The sandpaper is so neglected, but when used well it can gives lots of pain, adding the special pain mix (salt, pepper, alcohol and more) it will hurt even more. And let's face it no one want a taste of large grain sandpaper in their bodies, especially on 'sensitive' bodily parts.

Helen: She is a nice woman, I really mean that, but she is part of Dante's guild for more than ten years so some of his nastiness rubbed on her too, well not really, she just have this really mean side of her.

Female doppelganger: Side effect number one. She/he/whatever bothers Benji with comments and trying to make him evil (regardless everything Benji still is a good guy, just not the average one), Benji in the other hand is annoyed by her and uses everything that he can to shut her up, ranging from ice cream to tentacle hentai (she is in his mind so his imaginary images can harm her).

Tentacle-sensei: From the anime Angel of Darkness, mad teacher/scientist who became a monster with tons of phallic tentacles, the natural enemy of females with skirts and without any type of hard armor. Benji's version of the guy is there to shut the doppelganger, and she still hasn't seen the true evil of Yaoi yet.

Wrist blades/claws and related killing: Now if you want to be truly evil with arm mounted weapons you have to do a 'predator' killing, the blades have enough distance between each other to fit the vertebral column between them to a simultaneous cut of the ribs in one swipe.

In game terms they have the delay of katars, but are used as daggers, but as made for the single purpose of being used against human and demi-humans targets the damage against medium sized enemies is 100 percent, unlike katars to have two of them you have to equip two as daggers, the two blades double the damage. More details in a later explanation since there is more about them to be show.

Well the chapter didn't come as I imagined, lately I am not on the mood for writing down killing sprees and detailing them. There would be much, much more fighting on it culminating on the fight where Benji disappears, but I can't put it down now, so I will be revisiting those scenes in flashbacks in the future chapters.

Sorry for the long delay, between not in the mood for killing and fighting scenes, I was also stuck in figuring a nice chapter name for this chapter.


	23. Dawn of war

Hi this is Benji Himura I am starting a new fanfic

Hi this is Benji Himura I am starting a new fanfic. I don't own Ragnarok online I also don't own the characters of that story or the plot; taking out the changes that I will make and the characters that I will create. I own Benji Himura and others characters that will show up in the story. It might be violence and sex in the story so if you are underage of seventeen are warned the content might be too improper to your age. Read by your own will and risk. In anyway enjoy the story.

Signed: Benji Himura

"Text" Talked sentences.

'Text' Thoughts.

-Text- Sounds effects.

(Text) Talked sentences in a foreign language

: Text: Messages show in an electronic screen or written.

**Text**: something being recalled, flashbacks, scenes being replayed.

_Text_: a detail found in a location, scene, person, recording and images that originally wasn't there.

Chapter twenty two: Dawn of war

Ten minutes after Juliet told to Atsuko, Layla and the others what happened they are in Benji's office hearing the whole story again. "So you didn't saw him dying." Atsuko commented. "I said that he was taken to some unknown place, but if by now he hasn't contacted anyone it is likely that he is dead." Juliet replied.

"Unless I see his corpse at my feet and watch it rot he isn't dead." Atsuko said seriously. "Trust me I know Benji and fought besides him longer than anyone else here, he isn't dead." "She is right." Layla added. "Unless we see him dead he isn't dead, more than once he proved that he is stubborn enough to not die." The others nod agreeing.

"And how we know if you aren't here just to spread a lie about this to make us lose our concentration and lose the incoming WoE?" Haruka asked eyeing Juliet. "Just because you said that you fought with him doesn't mean that you did."

"So for whom the bell tolls?" Juliet asked to Haruka. The blonde wizard looks in silence at the knight, all the others are looking at Juliet in the same surprised way, and Helen is just confused at it all. "For O'Neill." Atsuko answered. "Then time to march is on." Juliet replied.

"What is going on?" Helen asked confused. "What bell? What O'Neill?" "This is a password." Atsuko answered. "Benji made us learn this, a way to identify allies that we never saw." "So if she knows it…" Helen said. "Then Benji taught her." Layla finished.

Layla turns to Juliet and looks at the other lord knight. "Which means that either he told you that as ally or you tortured it out of him." Haruka said suspiciously. "As if I would be able to get the right one out of him in that circumstance." Juliet sneered. "He would give me a fake one, the one that would lead you to capture and torture me."

"You do have that one too?" Helen asked to Atsuko. "Well we do have plenty of enemies." Atsuko answered with a wry smile. "Anyway that means that Juliet said the truth." Atsuko said to the others. "Benji is missing and we have to assume that he can't be here for the battle."

"And this is another reason why I am here." Juliet said. "I agreed with Benji and we became allies, at this moment I have five guilds worth of lord knights and knights ready to battle and defend any castle or castles." "You have four hundred knights?!" Haruka asked shocked.

"Wait a second." Helen said looking at Juliet's neck guard. "Is that the sigil of the Diamond order?" "Diamond order?" Haruka asked confused. "What is that?" "It is a rumored order of knights who refused to serve the king, they are knights just in name and skills; they weren't ordained knights." Helen answered. "At least as far the legend goes."

"Our order refuses to serve a king and fight for his politic reasons, we want the freedom to fight and defend our homes and not a king's personal interests." Juliet said seriously. "Those are the principle of our order."

"And why pledging alliance to Benji? Isn't that against your order's principles?" Layla asked in a flat tone. "Excuse me, I might not serve a king but I am not stupid." Juliet replied. "I will do whatever I can to keep me and my order on Benji's good side; I don't want to find myself on my knees while he rips my head and spine out of my body."

"That reason is as good as any." Atsuko commented with a nod. "Yeah, Benji can be quite scary." Erika added. "At least that confirmed my suspicions that he was the headhunter from the news." Helen commented casually. "You are sure that he is good?"

"Yes he is good." Atsuko answered. "He is just pending to chaotic." "I would say diabolic." Juliet commented. "I saw plenty of killings before but he really takes things to a whole new level." Haruka and Makie chuckled dryly, it was fault of their world and the movies there, they knew from where Benji had the idea of tearing heads with spines.

Someone knocks on the office's door and then Ami's voice said. "My sister is here with her friend as well some other friends for the allied guilds." "Isn't this a bit too convenient?" Haruka asked confused. "Unless." Atsuko said walking to the door and opening it. "Benji said to you come today didn't him?"

Mana and Shina frown at the sudden question. "Yes he did." Mana answered. "Before we left he said to us to all meet here after we placed our luggage in the castle. Why?" "Just for the record did he tell you to come here today?" Layla asked to Juliet. "Yes, he said that until noon today the castle would be empty." Juliet answered. "What is going on?" Haruka asked confused with the whole situation.

"This is a war meeting." Helen said understanding. "All his allies, friends and people who he trusts are here two days before the WoE day, enough time to plan an effective battle plan with the combined forces." Atsuko nodded confirming. "And Benji didn't tell us a thing since it would be a needless concern during the vacation." Atsuko added.

"Fine but why those two knew it all along and haven't told us a thing?" Haruka asked while pointing to Mana and Shina. "I bet money that Benji told them to not say a thing." Erika commented. "Right?"

"Right." Mana answered with a smile. "So what is going on? Who are the new faces?" After a detailed explanation Mana looks at Juliet. "Well I guess that we have no choice but make a defense plan by ourselves here, after all this is the first place that he will come when he comes back."

"Why you are so certain that he will come back?" Juliet asked to Mana. Shina chuckled softly and Mana smiled. "Trust me honey, Benji is resilient." Mana said almost sneering the lord knight. "He walked for over one week in the Sograt desert without any kind of food or water, surviving by killing monsters, eating their flesh and drinking their blood. If he did that before becoming a novice now that he is a powerful multi class assassin cross it would take lots of abuse to kill him, the kind that we give to am MVP."

Shina nodded agreeing, so does Atsuko and Layla. "Well as long he doesn't get himself in trouble I don't see how he would die." Helen commented, the others frown at her words. "Come on you don't think that he would do something stupid in a foreign land, do you?" She asked to the others.

"Well it is Benji who are speaking about." Atsuko said a bit uneasy. "Yeah, the one who single handed invaded a fort to rescue a total stranger." Haruka added. "Who fought with the golden knight without even bothering to learn the power of the enemy." Layla added. "Who single handed stole one castle in his first WoE." Erika said. "Who mauled, killed, tortured and inspired terror in an ancient noble family in one night." Juliet added seriously.

"Well it will be a long wait." Atsuko commented. "Yeah, Benji will get in all kinds of trouble I won't be surprised if he shows up with another guild following him." Mana added with a nod. "Or with a kingdom full of enemies chasing him." Juliet added. "Or the church." Erika pointed out. "There are rumors that Benji is the devil incarnation on this world."

"I am so proud of him!" Mana exclaimed in a mockery of maternal pride. "My little boy is rumored to be the devil! Killer of thousands! I am so happy!" "With that kind of influence I am not surprised." Layla whispered to Atsuko in a dry tone. Atsuko nodded agreeing. Shina covers her eyes and shakes her head, exasperated at her long time friend.

"He is that bad?" Helen asked surprised. "Well he can be worse than that." Atsuko answered with a wry smile. "Trust me you don't want to see him angry." Juliet, Mana and Shina nodded agreeing. Helen smiled dryly at her answer.

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Ten minutes and few introductions later

"We need to build a strategy." Atsuko said to the others. "But we don't know the castles all that well." Alexis pointed out. "And that is why Benji keeps me around." Makie said pulling three large sheets of paper rolled together from her inventory, and then she opens them over Benji's desk.

"Maps?!" Mana exclaimed surprised. "You actually mapped the castles?!" "Benji doesn't keep me around just because my lack of clothing and pretty face." Makie said in a teasingly tone. "While structure engineering isn't my specialty I can make maps and blueprints from buildings given enough time on them."

"I thought that he kept you around to make him weapon designs." Haruka commented. "That too." Makie replied. "Anyway back to strategy." Atsuko said studying the maps. "Our priority is to defend the Silver Moon castle, it is our home and the place where he will return to, the other castles aren't important."

Layla and the other Seiryu's legions guild members nodded agreeing. "Hey we bought Bergel from you." Morrigan said lightly annoyed. "We will defend it too." Mana said to her companion.

"Now the White Eyes was given a one month break from the WoE because the death of our former leader, it would be unfair to us to be attacked while we are suffering structural repositions." Shina said with a smile. "So the White Eyes don't have to worry about defending our castle since for this month is out of limits."

"And that leaves us able to help out our allies." Mana added. "What happened with the old leader?" Alexis asked confused. "Well she had an accident involving a rope and angry guild members." Mana commented. "But that isn't important, Sia our new leader, who is silent over there." The girls look at the priestess that barely introduced herself earlier. "Agreed that we should give our aid to our friends." Mana continued.

"And my five guilds are here with the same reason." Juliet said. "This gives us a total of nine guilds." Atsuko said seriously. "That is seven hundred and twenty members in the total, but only seven hundred and seventeen fit to fight taking out the children in our guild and Benji who is M.I.A."

"And we can distribute between three castles." Layla concluded. "Two hundred and thirty nine defenders in each castle, it isn't a bad number." "However more than half of the main figure is composed of knights and other melee classes." Atsuko pointed out. "Sharing and splitting our caster and archer classes between the three will be tricky, and our basic strategy is blocking the entrance by the gate with area spells, a rain of arrows and then wiping the remaining ones with melee."

"We can work around that." Shina said. "Then White Eyes and our oldest allies have a sizable number of casters and archers in our ranks, so does the legion, it won't be all that hard to find balance between the three castles."

"It is true but, here in the legion we aren't used to fight in the WoE." Atsuko replied. "Our members don't communicate much in combat, because training and drills they all know what to do and when to do with out need of commands, making harder to the enemy to foresee what is coming next."

"That also prevents a good interaction with allies." Shina nodded understanding. "Two days isn't enough to get them used to team combat." "But it might not be needed." Layla said. "If we place one mixed guild on each castle backed by at least two knight only guilds, we can balance everything."

"However there are five guilds only with knights." Mana pointed out. "And four mixed guilds, but yes we can balance things out." "If we place archers in these positions in Bergel, casters on these." Atsuko said pointing to five different locations on the map. "Melee fighters in front of the casters by the gate, the castle will be defended, and we might even be able to fight in turns."

"That would be really good." Alexis commented. "But what about the other one?" "There is sniping points here and here." Makie said changing the maps and showing the locations. "And we don't need to go over the ones here." "What about supplies?" Shina asked.

"We have plenty of those." Layla answered. "Ammo enough to fight for three months, status arrows, lots of pots and foodstuff, don't even get me started on equipment, each girl build her own locker filled with their favorite weapons as well their favored WoE ones."

"Benji's closet is bigger than the kitchen." Atsuko commented. "Based in what I saw him using it must be at least that big." "Considering that he has bombs I am not surprised." Juliet commented. "We will use them too?" "No." Atsuko answered seriously. "They aren't like normal attacks; they will hurt everyone including allies." Juliet nodded understanding.

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After one hour they agreed in a plan of defense, but Alexis was really opposing to the last option emergency back up plan, last time that Erika cooked she saw her nana and she was dead for twelve years, but even protesting loudly, she couldn't make Layla and Atsuko budge of that idea.

With a sigh Alexis leans against the kitchen wall watching Erika selecting the ingredients for her weapon of mass destruction, she wasn't going to cook it, just leave things ready, and if things get critical during the battle a catapult would be ready to be fired, loaded with a cauldron with the contents of the demon summoning that Erika called cooking.

All the other girls were told that Benji was traveling, helping a friend in an emergency, it was too soon to let them know that they have no idea of where Benji is and if he will return or not.

In Benji's office Layla and Atsuko are dealing with an important issue. "I am not leading." Atsuko said to Layla. "I know well how I am liked by some of the girls, you are here since the beginning, you are better to lead them; you already have experience in doing so."

"You are Benji's favorite." Layla shot back, she didn't want the responsibility and knew that she wasn't all that far from the truth. "You are the favorite." Atsuko replied. "At least guild originated, and being one of Benji's favorites makes me even less suited to lead the guild."

Layla had to admit that Atsuko was right, some of the girls really disliked Atsuko for being so high ranked in the guild when she was the newest member, not to mention sharing Benji's bed. "Hey there is a girl in the gate, she is really dirty and wearing some pretty filthy and old clothes." Karen said while entering on Benji's office. "And?" Atsuko asked confused.

"Well normally taisho gives her something." Karen answered, it was part of the routine, every Friday the girl would come to the castle and Benji would give her a parcel of something. "Well I guess that it is okay, Karen you tell her that Benji is traveling and won't be able to give her what he normally does, give her some money for food and clothes." Atsuko replied, if Benji was helping the girl so she would do the same.

Karen nods and leaves the office; stopping by the treasury she picks five thousand zenys, enough for clothes and food. At the gate Karen finds the girl waiting in the spot where she left her, resting against her tall walking stick. "I am sorry but our leader is in a journey right now." Karen said in a gentle tone. "Here is some money; it should be enough for you to buy some new clothes and one week worth of food."

"Thank you." the girl said while reaching for the offered bag, Karen notices that the girl missed her hand. Karen holds the girl's hand and places the bag on her hand. "You can keep coming here in the usual day; we will take care of you in his absence." Karen added. "Thank you for your kindness." The girl said with a bow.

Karen wonders why Benji was taking care of the girl like that instead of sheltering her in the guild, but seeing the girl tapping with her odd looking walking stick on the ground while walking gives to Karen the answer, the girl was blind, unable to fight and evolve as an adventurer, even common work might be too much for her to accomplish.

On the way to Amatsu Junko blocks the path of the girl. "Hey little lady what you were doing at that castle?" She asked after she stopped. "Miss I am a poor blind girl, my miserable life was made more comfortable thanks to the kindness of the man that commands that castle. Every week I am required to go there to get new clothes, food and medicine to make my existence more endurable, but my benefactor is traveling now."

Junko felt pity for the girl, she was very skinny and dirty, she couldn't believe that Benji wouldn't give the girl enough food to eat, so there was something else that made the girl so thin, since she also said medicine Junko concluded that it was an illness. "Sorry for barging." Junko said pulling two gold coins from her pocket. "Here some money for you to clean up and have some warm food."

The girl accepts the money, with a thankful bow and words she resumes walking to Amatsu. "This isn't right, Benji wouldn't travel so near of the WoE, and something else is going on." Junko muttered walking back to the woods surrounding the path to the castle. "Benji left few days ago and didn't returned, he is too stubborn to die so he must be missing in some unknown place."

Now sure that no one was around the blind girl let out a long sigh and stretches up. "I so hate playing the sickly girl role." She said standing up straight. "I guess that both suspicions were confirmed now." She brings two fingers on her lips and whistle loudly. "Kiba!" She called after whistling.

A large black wolf runs at her direction, on his back two adapted saddle bags, the wolf halts next to her. "Good boy." She cooed rubbing the wolf's head, she places the money bag inside one of the bags on the wolf's side. She places the walking stick in a proper holster on the belts holding the bags on the wolf and then rides on the large creature. "Kiba take us home!" she called holding on handle coming from a sturdy leather leash. The wolf barks back and bolts away to the woods around the trail.

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Atsuko was starting to get really worried; it is in the hour before the dawn of war as Benji thought in calling the morning of the day of the WoE, and no sign of Benji, the girls learned about Benji's journey in the previous night, the only thing between a fully crushed morale was Layla recalling them of how well they fought without Benji in their first battle and that repeating the feat would be much easier now.

Still the hit in the morale was there rather visible, it impressed Atsuko to see how Benji's absence affected them, even when he was shut in the Emperium room in the first day of the WoE the morale was high, the girls knew that he was there, now it was different.

Atsuko knew that Benji was idolized by most of the girls of the guild, but the sheer change of morale when he wasn't there shocked her, how his reputation made all the girls, herself included fight much harder with much more ease, it was disturbing to see how the fame of being a mass killer made every one of his allies feel so much better when fighting.

Layla would lead the front line of the guild, Erika took Benji's place in the Emperium room, she was given a provisory leadership of the guild, enough so she could access the treasure room and to use the guild leader skills. Atsuko know that in the other two castles every one is as tense as they are in the Silver Moon, she can only hope that they can defend the castle long enough so Benji could return from wherever he was and find his home just as he left it, and get a massive scolding from everyone.

………Somewhere very far from there……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Scorched sand as far as the eyes can see, massive dunes with deep valleys between them, a horrid sight of lifeless desolation, without even a single plant or shade as far the eye can see, any life there is quickly drowned by the ever moving dancing sands moving at the flavor of the hot breathes of the wind.

Under an improvised turban made out of a long stripe of clothe Benji cursed. "May my desert folk ancestors forgive me but I so hate deserts… they are hot…they are dry…they try killing me…" adjusting the tall collar/lower face mask of the muffler shaped top of his ankle long cape, as the turban the fabric is brown and torn in the edges.

A sword hilt and guard are exposed on his back with everything else under the cape, on his right hand his cast spear posing as a walking staff, the only visible part of Benji is his eyes, everything else is covered by at least one layer of cloth, protecting his skin from the scorching sun and preventing the loss of moisture.

Benji knew better than removing layers of cloth in an attempt of making himself cooler, he knew both by seeing on TV desert nomads with clothes covering their entire body, as well genetic memory from his Lebanese ancestors, and lastly the fact that he feels cooler wearing a shirt when topless in a hot day, adding those factors Benji kept himself well wrapped in fabric, successfully lowering his temperature when compared to the environment, but he would really like that his sunglasses weren't broken in the battle.

Without his shades Benji couldn't warp away from the desert, the teleport skill wasn't working, not to mention that the shades would really make easier to Benji to endure the strong light of the desert's sun, though the turban was casting some shade on his eyes as well with the high collar protecting it from the sand, but was nowhere the protection that would be given by a pair of functional sunglasses.

"At least this time I was more ready than the last time." Benji muttered while pulling a bottle from his inventory and taking a small sip of grape juice, even thought he wasn't ready for desert conditions, the food and drink items that he was carrying as well the potions would provide him with water and food for many days if rationed well.

He had already expended five days in the desert, he still had enough for more, of course recalling some survival manuals and tips that he red in the past Benji was using empty bottles to collect his urine, as disgusting as it sounds, with the proper technique he would be able to extract water from it, and he knew how to do it, Benji knew that just throwing away that moisture would kill him sooner if he is unable to find the way out of the desert before his potions and juices run out, with that method he might be able to last longer in those unforgiving lands.

End of the chapter twenty two:

Author explanation corner:

Password: I needed something that wasn't well known in Rune, since I was with 'For whom the bell tolls' from Metallica in my day that I wrote that scene it became the first part of the password, the second part is because I like Stargate SG1, my cable just got Sci-fi channel and they are showing it, so I decided to pay some homage to that, besides Richard Dean Anderson is MacGyver, and I love that show when I was a kid, he disarmed a bomb using a feather! He rules! Ahem back to the explanation, O'Neill is most likely to be a total inexistent name in Rune, so it is a good second part to a password. The third part is from 'For whom the bell tolls' lyrics, and is used to acknowledge that the counter password is correct.

Well it is more like a passphrase that has the same value and function of a password, but is more secure, in this case the system is not based in the computer password/phrase system, but in the old password/phrase used by soldiers in the battlefield to identify the allies.

An example is having a password in this case 'apple', the counter word is 'shoe', so the person speaking is an ally (in most cases), but a second soldier arriving ten minutes after the first gets the same password 'apple', and the soldier answers 'pie', that one is a enemy, and thought that the counter was a word related to the password, so the guard will kill the offender in sight.

Based in the amount of 'enemies' that Benji and his guild might have made, as well the fact that Benji has a certain number confirmed enemies, the password/phrases are something to help Benji as well his friends to tell who are deemed trustworthy by other guild members and who isn't.

Juliet, her guilds and the diamond order: After most of the night together fighting Lacey's lackeys Benji felt that Juliet was someone trustworthy and decided to 'enlist' her as well as many of her order as possible. A reputation as a mass killer is something helpful to ensure that the most weak willed of the group will stay away, as well keep the others aware that betrayal isn't nice and if he learns, well they made the math and thought that having Benji as friend would be good for them.

Juliet is a high ranked member of the order, she does command a entire castle of the order in a region that won't be named (first to not place them in the official RO world map, second I don't think that I can't come with a nice name for the god forgotten place to place the order's castle.), there are few more castles that I won't number now (still haven't decided on the size of the order).

After consideration with the other leaders, the order grand master and council, the order decided that a healthy alliance with a famous (infamous for some given the Seiryu's Legions reputation as well Benji's personal reputation) guild would be profitable for the order in terms of allies in time of need, as well to train their own members and strengthening the sisterhood.

Benji gave to Juliet an Emperium stone that he had laying around (killing MVPs and other mobs does tend to give out Emperiums sometimes), so she could start her own guild with the girls of her 'branch' of the order (I might throw more than just knights and lord knights in the mix there), with backup from the order she was given more personal for form the total of five guilds to help Benji with his needs (not those, no hentai with an entire order of female knights, fighting on the WoE).

Meeting after the end of the 'holiday': With the next WoE day coming closer and without much improvements since the first Benji wanted to discuss strategy with the few allies that he had in order to come up with defense plans to protect his castle, and if possible the second castle on his possession, since keeping it for a long time it will make the guild reputation climb even more, and sometimes a good fame can be a really good shield, as well a good attractive to fame seekers.

Without Benji there to preside the meeting Atsuko and Layla took the reins of the meeting and with the aid of the others organized a good battle plan with the available assets (guild members, items and other useful stuff). Benji did planned more than what was show in the earlier chapters, as show in this with Makie showing detailed blueprints from each castle, allowing them to make plans and assign positions without having to visit each castle.

Erika's food: Well Benji did bring up that Erika's food could be used as weapons; the girls are despaired so having an emergency plan helps them to feel safer. Morale is something really amazing, it is said that a soldier even when physically fit after suffering a injury can't fight when not feeling able to fight, that is because he lost his confidence and his morale, it could lead to his death if forced to fight.

It is an also known fact that famous leaders, heroes, soldiers and others 'personalities' make an army fight better by knowing that, that particular person is there fighting at their side or leading them, that person's fame boost the morale of the troops as well shakes the morale of the enemy.

Here is the same, Benji have a reputation of being a unstoppable, immortal, merciless, cold, cruel and ruthless killer (some said by the jealous, scared and the others, bad talking Benji, I don't know the exact term for that kind of people in English, but I think that is something like 'big mouth'), and all that adds to rumors and mouth to mouth tales spoken by others who will add things and make the tale even 'bigger' to impress people.

All that gives Benji a really impressive reputation, the kind of reputation that makes people not want to be on the opposing side from the one that he is fighting on; and that makes the people on his side feel encouraged in the same proportion that it discourages the enemy.

So without Benji there around seventy percent if not more of the morale and morale boost effect is lost, even with Layla and the others with considerable reputations themselves with them.

Alexis was almost killed by Erika's food so she holds a very personal trauma against it, the nana was just an extra thing.

Guild leadership and related stuff: Since this is 'real life' the whole system is more flexible than in the game, so in certain circumstances, some other member of the guild can be nominated as temporary leader in the absence of the real leader or in the case of a coup, insanity of the leader, removal of the command for other serious reasons (tactical, military or any other possible and valid).

The temporary leader has access to the guild skills and in the story the treasury room key to enter in the treasury room to collect the guild treasure items. In the White Eyes case there was first a coup, them execution and then the election of a new leader among the ranks, that led to a change in the guilds structure with the change of leadership. So they were given a free pass for the WoE to allow them to restructure themselves. Not that was really needed.

Blind girl and the wolf: Secret.

Junko: More secret.

Benji's time in the desert: Coming soon. As well how his sunglasses broke in the battle and where he got around a five by seven meters big piece of brown fabric and the fate of his enemy.

Survival tips explanation: Urine is made mostly of water as well several toxins/chemicals that our body expels. In the desert with no water source anywhere near saving as much liquid as possible might be the difference between life and death. By saving the urine Benji can using rather simple techniques extract the water from it to be used to keep him alive.

Here a simple example: placing a flat metal bar (knife, sword, anything) over the neck of the bottle in a angle and holding it there with a string or anything else (lid, cork paper), placing a clean and empty bottle bellow the lower end of the metal bar, the hot sun will make the water evaporate from the urine, the metal will make the steam condensate and the water will gather there, the drops will move down the bar and eventually fall on the clean bottle (the use of some lid, stopper, burying the bottle on the sand or any other means to prevent that water to evaporate is advisable).

Eventually most of the water in the urine will be cleanly transferred to the clean bottle becoming drinkable (distillated water), of course this method takes time to work, but is quite easy to make, considerably effective, and when paired resting during the hottest hours of the day and traveling few hours during the night it will increase Benji's chances to survive.

I am not an expert in survival, I just know what I red in books and saw in survival shows, and as well some common sense and knowledge gained by asking to friends who were in the military as well some knowledge in other areas that can be used in that situation.


	24. Desert escape

Hi this is Benji Himura I am starting a new fanfic

Hi this is Benji Himura I am starting a new fanfic. I don't own Ragnarok online I also don't own the characters of that story or the plot; taking out the changes that I will make and the characters that I will create. I own Benji Himura and others characters that will show up in the story. It might be violence and sex in the story so if you are underage of seventeen are warned the content might be too improper to your age. Read by your own will and risk. In anyway enjoy the story.

Signed: Benji Himura

"Text" Talked sentences.

'Text' Thoughts.

-Text- Sounds effects.

(Text) Talked sentences in a foreign language

: Text: Messages show in an electronic screen or written.

**Text**: something being recalled, flashbacks, scenes being replayed.

_Text_: a detail found in a location, scene, person, recording and images that originally wasn't there.

Chapter twenty three: Desert e/scape

Benji rested inside his nest in the sand, while hot it was cooler than being outside, it was a horrible feeling being buried inside a hole in the sand, with little room to move thanks to an arrangement of daggers and cloth, all that he could do is try to get some sleep while waiting.

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Several hours later Benji resumed walking, it was much cooler than in the mid morning and afternoon. But was boring to walk, and walk, and walk on the desert, the same scenario over and over again, it wasn't only boring but dangerous, if he isn't careful he could easily walk in circles without noticing.

Using the sun as compass during the day and a group of stars forming what he called tri force because the rough placement of the group was similar to the Zelda games artifact, during the night to guide him, Benji believes that he is walking east, but he wouldn't be surprised in being proven wrong, when finding civilization.

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Atsuko sighs in relief, the day is over and so is the WoE, and for one month they will have time to look for Benji. They succeeded in defending the castles, everyone was less tired than in the first war, but the morale was lower. Most of the girls have turned in for the night after a quick bath.

But Atsuko had to admit, the emperor thought really big when making the castle, in two turns and using both the women's side and Benji's side of the hot spring every guild member of the allied guilds could comfortably take a good soak and relax, but she had to complain a bit about housing itself, there wasn't enough rooms to house the 'visiting' knights and in the end they stuffed five knights in each vacant room and still had to change the training hall into a dorm for the remaining knights.

Now in Benji's office Atsuko wonders on their fate, without Benji there the whole alliance most likely will crumble, so will the legions. It was his presence that kept them together. She hopes that they will remain united long enough for him to return. However she thinks in what Juliet said to her before the war, Benji got too much attention on himself, he also stepped on many toes and made plenty of enemies, some very influential, it is fear that keeps them at bay, but learning that Benji isn't there might make them attack.

Even thought that didn't stop Lacey from ambushing Benji and trying to get him to kill Juliet and everyone in her castle. 'I wonder who Benji angered to get that kind of reaction.' Atsuko thought seriously, she was sure of one thing; it was before she met Benji that it happened.

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Benji chews on a small chunk of salt, most people would think that is insanity to eat salt in an thirst inducing environment, but Benji knew that the salt was important for several reasons, the first being that it would give to his system minerals and other electrolytes that his body needed to work, second it would help to regulate the water on his system, and the one that he thought that was most important was that would help him to lose less water.

He would drink some juice after eating that small amount of salt; it would quench the thirst and wet his throat. Benji can't help in regretting about killing the creator too fast, he should had taken more time on it.

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Benji curses under his breath while discarding an empty juice bottle, he had too many empty bottles; he was running short supplies, no wonder since he is in that desert for two whole weeks, and he haven't seen a single sign of people in that whole time. He was starting to get despaired at his situation; the desolation of the desert was taking his determination.

But Benji continues to walk, it was night so it was cool enough to lightly revitalize him, the drastic temperature changes between day and night are also gradually eroding his strength, the fact that he haven't taken a bath in three weeks also adds to his weariness, he was smelling bad and he couldn't even change his clothes.

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Layla sighs tired after another day of fruitless search for her leader and lover, she as well several other members scrambled around the kingdom including the new areas searching for Benji, but deep down Layla knew that even mobilizing everyone the chances of finding Benji were slim, after all they have no idea of where look at.

The worse is that in a little more than two weeks they will have another day of WoE, meaning another lost day not searching for Benji, but holding on their home so he would have a place to return from wherever he is.

Haruka is also frustrated with Benji's disappearance, even with Juliet showing them the place where Benji and she invaded; they couldn't get in there because the guarding knights, so she couldn't see the circle that transported Benji to wherever he is. No knowing where Benji is, is making everyone worry, including Maria and Raki.

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At dawn Benji smiled, he spots what he hopes to be salvation, or at the very least a source of water, but he knows better than letting his hopes too high, it might be a mirage. Benji walks straight to what he believes to be an oasis; it was the stereotype oasis, with palm like trees, green grass, unknown bushes and a small lake. Benji could almost smell the water even at distance.

Two hours later Benji arrives in the oasis, content in not running like a madman towards it, he would have used far more energy to get there, but the shade, the shade felt so good; so it did the moist air of the oasis coming from the grass and water. Benji saw fruits in the bushes and trees, he would check them later, but first, first he would drink.

A quick search and scan of the area show to Benji that there weren't any animals there that might pounce on him; there weren't any tracks of men or beast. Benji knells by the edge of the lake and uses one of his empty bottles to collect water. It was deliciously cold; very surprising when considering the temperature of the desert, his first drink of cold water in weeks boosted his morale high.

Using the empty bottles to collect water Benji washes himself by a tree, so he wouldn't soil the water. The bath felt great and refreshing, he also washed his clothes, not exactly easy but that task made him feel good, having clean clothes can really make one happy. One hour later Benji is seeing his clothes hanging on a wire between two trees, they will get dry quickly in the heat. Now with more time Benji checks on the fruits on the bushes, eating something else other than meat, pet food, dried fruits and cereal bars would be wonderful.

But the fruits are totally unknown to Benji, resigning to a taste test Benji tries some of the fruits, they are quite sweet, a bit sour but in a good way, and since his build in poison alarm haven't rang then they are okay to eat, and he does it with gusto. After stuffing himself with the fruits and fresh water Benji lays down under a tree shade next to his gear and let out a pleased sigh, that oasis was a paradise in the middle of that scorching hell.

'I could stay here for a day or two to regain my strength.' Benji thought relaxing for the first time in almost one month. 'I can get plenty of water here, also lots of fruits, enough to make my life expectancy here grow for at least three more weeks.' Benji smiles at the idea of living for three more weeks, maybe enough to walk away from that blazing hell.

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Mana and Shina take large drinks of their large mugs of wine, they are annoyed with the total lack of information regarding Benji, not that they could openly ask people if they saw him, as far others knew Benji was in the castle, he was after all know for not being much of a public figure and constantly being locked inside his castle doing whatever he does there.

Mana is openly frustrated about everything, and she refused to change to assassin cross until finding Benji. Ami watches her sister and her sister's best friend drinking far more than what she thinks that is advisable but doesn't stop them. Everyone was using their contacts, but avoiding leaking out important details, and above everything not telling to the class guilds that Benji is missing, if that is discovered the number of attackers on the Legions' castles will tenfold.

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Haruka rummages on Benji's desk hoping to find anything that might take them to the right direction, she knew from the start that it was a fruitless search but even being, she had to try, after everything that happened and she saw disregarding things just because they are unlikely isn't wise.

Other than the books that she was expecting to find, there wasn't anything else there other than writing goods, but one drawer of the desk was solidly shut and locked, and Haruka couldn't open it as much as she tried, it was temptating to break it open but recklessly doing so might cause more harm than good, specially on her since she is often meeting punishments for bad or troublesome behavior.

Sitting on Benji's chair Haruka ponders on breaking the drawer or not, she was very aware that Benji had quite a load of secrets that no one knew about it, and he never told to anyone, she doesn't know anything between the time that Mana and Shina returned to their guilds until Benji met Alexis and Isis, then rescued her.

Benji never mentioned that gap of his stay on Rune, and he were probed quite intensely, Haruka wondered about it, from what Mana told her in the holiday Benji's fighting style was quite different from what it was before they left.

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Atsuko looks at the circle at her feet. "You are sure that this is it?" Helen asked to her protégé. "It is the only magic circle in the area." Atsuko answered, she had to ask plenty favors to get inside Lacey's mansion. "And the blood splatters leads to this room; this has to be the room that sent Benji away."

"I am not a full fledged wizard but I can tell that this spell went wrong, badly wrong." Helen said while looking at the surroundings. "This is or at least should be a summoning spell." "So Benji got caught in a summoning?" Atsuko asked to her role model, magic isn't her expertise.

"He must have got in the way." Helen commented. "Probably disrupted at the most critical moment, the backlash caused the ritual to go amok and send him and whoever was in the circle with him to some distance place. I don't think that we can locate him, the only way is for him to contact us."

Atsuko sighed, Helen just confirmed her worries, a glean catches Atsuko's eyes, she moves to the place where she saw it. "This is Benji's sunglasses." Atsuko said picking up a broken half of Benji's sunglasses, the lens was broken and the frame was cut in half. "Without this he can't cast anything that requires gems."

"That explains why he couldn't warp back, but teleport doesn't require gems." Helen commented. "Still someone got a pretty good hit to land a hit on him." Atsuko nodded while looking around more carefully, after few minutes she finds the other half of Benji's glasses, the lens are gone and the frame was pretty much shattered to bits, but might be still repairable.

"I still don't understand why someone would try to kill Benji like that." Atsuko said seriously. "Atsuko, dear you have no idea of what kind of things happens behind the WoE." Helen replied gently, but there was a hint of distaste on her words. "Nobles are pretty much a petty class, and they are often bored since they always 'succeed' on their activities. Betting is a common pastime, moves fortunes around and several nobles do everything to ensure their victory."

"You mean that someone was trying to get rid of Benji to win a WoE related bet?" Atsuko asked seriously. "It isn't too much of a stretch to think that." Helen answered. "He became quite famous practically overnight, he has a reputation of invincibility, he even made Dante of all people admit defeat in single combat. You are a smart girl Atsuko, make the math and calculate the odds, how much one could win if betting against him."

Atsuko remained in silence, Helen had a pretty strong and valid point there, Atsuko was aware of the manipulation of battles for profit, the Kingstone guild had plenty of those offers, they refused every single time, but Atsuko was aware that it was the Kingstone guild sheer size, contacts and strength that prevented attacks from the nobles and rich merchants who were refused. And that Benji didn't have that much pull in the world, at least not yet.

Atsuko knows that Benji has some good contacts considering that he is still a 'novice' in the adventuring business, regardless that Benji managed to get one major contact as the emperor of Amatsu, Benji's reputation and fame reached his ears, as well his liking for the city. Atsuko also don't put behind Benji some unknown but very handy contacts spread around that only he knows about.

Benji has too much high grade but dangerous items stored just for himself, and those items had to come from some place. Atsuko loves Benji so normally she doesn't really care about his secrecy about certain things, she had her own share of secrets that she didn't share with him, and so she respected his, but now that he is missing those secret contacts might know something that she doesn't know.

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Benji is happy sited on a shade and drinking some water. Two days had passed since he had left the oasis after staying there for three days, and he found the ruins of what he believes to be a village, he even found some salt dried meat there, sure it was harder than his armor but was still edible food, so Benji happily took everything from the salt filled box and stuffed on his inventory.

He was overall content that since he left the oasis he was with reasonably good luck, of course that old destroyed ruins might also be bad, it could mean that he is in the wrong direction since the place was after all abandoned by the original owners, but he wouldn't think like that since if there was a village there it would have living conditions, that meant water, he is guessing that the water source dried and the people left the village to not die.

Still it was a bit odd, since just two and a half days away to east there is a nice oasis, of course there might be a large time gap between the formation of the oasis and the abandonment of the village. Benji would try to learn more after he rests a little more, after almost one month walking over ninety percent of the time Benji's feet are begging for mercy, or a good massage, whatever happens first.

'Go away.' Benji said even before the doppelganger said anything. 'At least let me start nagging you before you say that.' She replied annoyed, Benji was even more curt and rude than the usual, and since there wasn't one ice cream anywhere in god knows how far she was much more annoying, and she was getting used to the hentai-sensei attacks, and was almost looking forward at them, almost.

'I am the only company that you had for almost one month you could be more friendly to me.' She continued. 'As far as I know you are a hallucination.' Benji said in a flat tone. 'Now shut up or I will go after you with a hammer.' 'You wouldn't hit yourself in the head with a hammer.' She replied teasingly. 'I would.' Benji said in a flat tone. 'If it means getting rid of you.'

Whenever Benji was close of actually enjoying a break she comes to annoy him. Sighing Benji sips some water before stashing it back on his inventory. "Well time to see if I can find something that shows me the way to people." Benji said to himself. 'What you don't count me as people?' the doppelganger asked in a mock hurt tone. 'Speaking to yourself isn't exactly normal.'

"No." Benji answered flatly, he scratches his chin for a moment. 'Hold it! Wait!' She quickly exclaimed while Benji rummages on his memories for something nasty to throw at her, he was getting bored with the tentacle stuff. "Man I need something else other than bondage and tentacle porn in the punishment area." Benji commented idly. "Well I guess that I will have to use tentacle-sensei again and add bondage to it."

'You can't do this to me!' She exclaimed clutching on her clothes, she is quite aware that is a futile effort since every single time they end in shreds on the attacks. 'Come on by now you are pretty much doing it in purpose.' Benji replied. 'I can tell.' 'Noooooo!!' She shouted as the white coated man/monster charges at her. 'After this at least I will have some peace for a day or two.' Benji thought with a smile on his lips.

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"I never thought that I would be so happy in seeing a city!" Benji exclaimed while looking to a desert people city. Benji did noticed that people were staring at him, it wasn't surprising, it isn't everyday that a stranger fully armed covered head to toe in a ragged mantle walks by the city gates.

But Benji didn't care, somehow the city was, much, much cooler than the field outside, for the first time in a long time he felt cool air, not cold air, cool. It doesn't take long to Benji find the man square and water, Benji was pretty much used to track down the minor scent of moisture by now.

Using one of his empty potion bottles Benji scoops and drink water from the well, cold, refreshing and tasty water. Pulling out his improvised turban, Benji proceeds to dump the remaining water of his bottle on his head with a long sigh of pleasure. Needless to say that the water pooling by his feet wasn't clear as the one in the bottle was.

Refreshed and feeling more alive Benji quickly notices that many women dressed in desert garbs are looking at him from a safe distance; Benji also notices the buckets and jars on their hands. Benji moves away from the well so they can draw water from it.

The crowd of curious people open a path as numerous men armed with spears, swords, shields and bows walks towards the square. Benji had to smile under his tall collar, the clothes looks pretty much as the ones of Arabian nights, he even spotted scimitars there, not the ones in Rune, but the real thing, he hoped that they speak English or things might go bad.

"Greetings." Benji said in a friendly tone to the group of men now standing few meters away from him. "I am not a threat to this city or its people; I was lost in the desert for weeks." "You do look and smell like it." One man with a jeweled and feathered turban says to Benji. "But how you got lost in the desert?"

"Magic from an evil sorcerer." Benji answered; at least they also speak English. "I have been wandering for a long time without directions or idea of where I was, guided only by the sun at day and the stars during night, looking for people and hoping to find by way out of that scorching hell."

"You are in the continent of Arunafeltz." The man said looking straight at Benji. "Three months away from Rachel our capital. And you are a man blessed by Freya, few men survive out there in the desert, the few that did either returned insane or severely weakened. You look fit and healthy."

"I was indeed blessed by taking a good road as well having with me a small amount of food and water." Benji replied knowing better than challenging the religion of the only people that he met in six weeks. "I found an oasis weeks east from here that gave me water and fruits that allowed me to remain healthy to find my way to safety."

"Come, Freya's church will gladly offer you housing and clean clothes to a weary soul and body." The man said in a friendly tone. "You must be craving for a good bath, a warm meal and a soft bed to sleep on." "You have absolutely no idea of how much." Benji said in a tone that mixed laughter, expectation and a hint of sarcasm. The man smiled at Benji's honest reply, after all Benji was right, he has no idea of how much Benji would be craving for the comforts that people takes for granted.

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Benji chuckled happily, for the first time in weeks he was thoroughly clean and washed; even his clothes are being washed, including his makeshift cloak and turban. Soaking in the clean warm water Benji relaxes, feeling the strain of the past weeks seeping away from him, his badly hurt feet savoring the break, the use of potions, salves and ointments healed the burst blisters, cuts and other overstress damage on them.

Now finally able to fully relax Benji began to feel how much his muscles ached, a condition that he disregarded while moving and being on 'survival mode' for so long, he had lost weight on the time in the desert too, even eating more than most people in similar conditions, it wasn't close of the normal daily amount.

After the bath Benji dresses clean clothes for the first time in weeks, he chuckles while sniffing the sleeve. "It even smells like soap." Benji commented gleefully, it wasn't important that the size wasn't right; Benji was after all by far taller than everyone in the city, all that was important that he was wearing something other than the set of clothes that he arrived with.

"If just that makes you happy I guess that more people should experience being lost in the desert." A priestess says to Benji with a smile. "Most people wouldn't survive enough to fully understand the small pleasures of life." Benji replied in a serious tone. "Besides this is my second time lost in a desert, it seems that something that involves my bloodline and magic always send me to a desert."

The priestess smiled but understood what he meant, he was stronger than the average. "Now that you are clean you want to eat some thing?" She asked softly. "Oh yes." Benji answered excited.

Five minutes later Benji is sited on a cushion with his right hand strongly pressed over his mouth, his tanned face pale, covered by a thin sheen of cold sweat, his neck muscles tense until he swallows down. "And stay there." Benji muttered tiredly and annoyed, he wouldn't let the first warm meal composed of anything other than dried, salted meat and dry fruits to be wasted.

"You don't have to force yourself to eat." The priestess said to Benji, impressed and a bit sick at Benji swallowing down his sickness along with the food that wanted to see the light again. "I want to eat, and won't be my stomach that will stop me from eating." Benji replied. "I am tired of salted, dried beef and dry fruits."

"Maybe it is the amounts." The priestess commented. "You mentioned that you were rationing your supplies, maybe right now you stomach can't handle larger amount of food so suddenly."

"Well I did survive with minimal amounts of food for weeks." Benji commented with a sigh, there was so much food there; he wanted to eat everything, not every grain of food but from everything. "I guess that it is a bit oily too."

Wanting or not Benji had to admit that his body got somehow used to be underfed, even being hungry Benji couldn't eat more or he would be really sick. With a long sigh Benji resigned to his fate, but not after making himself eat one of the sweets that were reserved for dessert.

"Stop that!" The priestess exclaimed in a mock scolding tone, most mocking because as soon Benji swallowed the sweet morsel he had to clamp his mouth with both hands and force his food down once again. The priestess couldn't blame Benji, she knew that anyone on his condition would want to eat and eat even if made them sick later.

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Atsuko sighed annoyed while tending her bruised side, another WoE came and went, and as the previous ones the Legions held its fame of invincible, at least until the next month. Wanting or not to admit this was harder than the previous time but easier than the first, proof of that is her still healing right side.

Atsuko wasn't the only one with still healing wounds, several others were, including key players as Karen, Leona, Jannine, Layla and Saya got hurt in the previous battle, Layla was still nursing a broken arm and shoulder, by far the worse injuries of the battle.

At least on their side as they dished out more punishment than they took, but Atsuko was aware that on each day of WoE the invading guilds, at least the most seasoned ones, were learning some of the tactics of them and coming again more prepared. Knowing that the first barrage was from magic the guilds started to invest heavily on anti-magic cards and gear, in order to withstand the massive damage of the unstoppable barrage of spells.

As the few more resilient and more protected ones survived that initial barrage they faced another barrage, now of arrows, so there was also an heavy investment on anti-arrow and anti-long range cards, the even fewer survivors of this second barrage if managed to leave the cast area before the next barrage of spells came would face a solid barrage of melee combatants.

But as more guilds prepared themselves to face the Seiryu's legions, more stronger melee invaders survived the initial barrages, and the sheer number of attackers also aided those more experienced attackers to survive, resulting in a melee clash that was steadily becoming more powerful, however no one outside the few allies had ever saw the floor of inner yard of Silver Moon castle.

Even knowing that Atsuko is worried, more they successfully defend their castle, their home, more famous they get as their reputation grows, attracting more and more guilds trying to make a name for themselves.

Thanks to her previous relation with the Kingstone guild Atsuko had plenty of contacts and information about the WoE, with mixed feelings Atsuko got the news that the Seiryu's legions was ranking seventeen in the guild ranking, an amazing feat considering that the guild wasn't even one year old.

Atsuko would normally be happy that her lovers guild was that high in ranking, she was quite aware of the benefits in being among the top twenty, after all she lived most of her late teens and her adulthood in a guild ranked first in the top five and any other top ranking.

But with the fame came fame hunters trying to make a name by defeating a famous and high ranking guild. Atsuko could ask for help in the Kingstone guild, she knew that Helen and everyone else would gladly help in that time of need, Dante took a liking of Benji in their duel, it wasn't everyday that Dante met someone who treated him no different than any other knight, Dante respected that.

Helen was wary of Benji, given his reputation and what she saw by herself she has every reason to, and especially after hearing the tales of his deeds by those who fought with him, but even wary Helen respected Benji in a certain level, mostly because he was the man that Atsuko chose as hers.

And the others are quite neutral about Benji, everyone shared their own gory and exaggerated reputations, Benji was confident enough to not suck them up wanting to get on their good side and becoming allies with them, actually most of them quite expected Benji to declare the Kingstone as an enemy of the Seiryu's legions, given his confrontation with Dante, they kind of wanted that, the Kingstone missed having a good and worthy rival/enemy to fight against.

While aware of being able to call for help of her friends and family, Atsuko was more afraid of the other high ranked guilds; those guilds fought hard for her positions and were very protective and jealous of them, and actively chased down threats to them.

And more than anything Atsuko knew that they are a threat to those guilds, after all in three months of WoE they already ranked seventeen, and given time the Legions will be in the top ten if not higher than that.

Atsuko is taken away from her thoughts by the sound of the bedroom door opening and the light from the hall entering on her dark room. "Anything wrong Maria?" Atsuko asked to the child. Maria was really feeling the brunt of Benji's absence, even being with Raki a lot Maria was attached to Benji and felt more secure with him around, his long absence is making the blonde very nervous and introverted.

Atsuko sees the pillow on the girl's hand, Atsuko could guess that Maria didn't want to sleep alone; Raki was with Layla to help her recovering sister. Atsuko pats on her bed, Maria smiles and moves there after closing the door. Atsuko felt sorry for the girl, other than Benji's lovers she was the one most affected by his disappearance, she even refused to change jobs until Benji returned.

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Benji sighed tiredly, he was tired but he couldn't fall in sleep, so used to walking during the most of the night Benji couldn't sleep even wanting and being in such comfortable and soft bed. Not even dressed on his old outfit Benji could get comfortable enough to sleep.

Benji gives up on sleeping for the moment and walks to the window of his room in the church, maybe a nice fresh breeze would help him to relax, his body was still in 'survival mode'.

The moon was beautiful and full, the air nice and fresh, not as cold as it was in the desert as the buildings stored more heat from the sun that slowly seeped out during the night. But something was odd, Benji's eyes adapted to night and bad light conditions scanned the city, there was something disturbing the peaceful air of the night.

At first glance Benji noticed that the massive wood gates of the city's walls were wide open, not something wise considering that there are monsters in an area of ten kilometers around the city, as well the strong winds that constantly shift the sands from its place.

Benji then looks at the square, a rail that he first thought to be used to tie reins of horses, camels, peco-pecos or whatever other mounting animal that they had, but instead of an animal there was a young woman chained to the sturdy wood rail, clad in torn clothes, sobbing in silence, pretty much resigned that no one will help her.

A dust could at distance catches Benji's eyes and Benji guessed that something was coming to the city and that woman is a kind of sacrifice. Benji rushes to his things and grabs his sword, Benji pauses and then sits on the bed hurriedly putting on his boots. Benji learned his lesson twice after Haruka and Maria's rescue, if he was going to fight he was going to fight with his boots, tearing the skin of the soles of his feet would only make fighting harder.

Benji grabs a holster belt and rushes out of the room only with his boots, his pants, his sword and the belt with a pistol and several magazines. Needless to say that his loud running steps wakes everyone inside the church, which meant the priestess and few more people.

"Benji what you are doing awake so late?" The priestess asked. "A man of good would be sleeping now." "My sleeping hours are messed up sister Seri." Benji answered shortly. "There is a woman chained in the square and a suspicious dust cloud coming here, I won't let whatever is coming just kill her."

"I can understand your desperation but please understand that this is the way of this land." Seri said seriously. "We are too far away from the capital to be protected by the guard and the military, even the guard here is far too small to deal with the demons that approach."

"Then they will meet the devil quite soon." Benji hissed with an evil smile, he was still pretty banged up from the desert trip, but he was more than fit to kill whatever is coming and from the sounds of animals they are getting closer of the wall. Benji runs out of the church still strapping the belt on his waist, as well the sword on his back.

Benji bursts out of the church throwing open the solid wood doors, by the gate Benji saw the dust cloud edging the open gate, still hidden by the wall, he knows that he won't make to the woman in time, by the time that Benji reached the main street a group of dog sized creatures, with long slim limbs leap at Benji.

With a swipe of his sword Benji kills several creatures before changing the swing trajectory and slashing the remaining ones in midair. 'They aren't strong.' Benji thought while seeing another wave charging at his direction. 'They are like those sand raiders from Diablo 2, weak but fast and attacking in bands.'

The critters leap with the claws ready to strike Benji, but Benji strikes with a swipe of his sword, easily slashing the slim bodies. Benji easily dodges the creatures and attack back, each slash easily killing four creatures, excited with the scent of blood as well rage for the attacker they all focus on Benji.

In horror Seri watches from church, Benji was doing exactly what he said that he would do, breaking a harmony that lasted for generations, the worse is that he seems to be enjoying the bloodshed. From the square the woman screams in fright at the scene, never in her life she saw anything like that.

Benji ignores the excited cheering from the doppelganger, as well the feeling that was haunting him for quite a while, the feeling of being on his environment while he is killing, the thrill of the battle, of the uneven odds pilling against him. It was getting easier every time to kill, even worn from the desert killing was so easy.

Noticing that they can't overwhelm Benji the desert critters hiss and taunt Benji from a safe distance. Benji takes that time to reevaluate the battle, hundreds, if not thousands of critters are filling the main street ahead of him, in a pulsing green, black and brown mass with glowing yellow eyes filled with sharp looking claws.

Benji knew better than charge at them, even not even tired, recklessly charging ignoring the overwhelming numbers would be stupidity, still he wonders why those critters attack the city and get sacrifices, there were plenty of edible monsters around the city, and they aren't smart enough to just negotiate the regular sacrifice, there has to be another reason for that.

A loud sound makes all the critters look up, Benji follows the gaze as well the sound, on the top of the main gate there was a cloaked figure blowing some type of horn. 'Now this explains a lot.' Benji thought, with some mysterious controller leading the critters was understandable the sacrifice system, and was time to that come to an end.

"Fire wall!" Benji shouted, three walls appear in the middle of the critters causing severe chaos among them as well damage on the hit one. "Thunder storm!" Benji throws another spell on the chaotic mass, normally he would save his SP for other skills as heal, blessing and increase agility, but at that moment confusing the leader was the priority, so it would lead to more mistakes.

Benji nails his sword on the ground; he makes the assassin's cast gesture while holding his right hand out. "Ice…" Benji started the cast, it was one of his experimental strikes, but it has a better range than any of his spells, a two meters long and five centimeters thick ice spear forms on his hand. "Spear!" Benji shouted throwing the long ice spear at the distant enemy.

Benji isn't surprised for not hitting the cloaked enemy, but it got close of it, as the spear nails itself by its target's feet before breaking down and shattering. Benji is pleased in seeing how shocked the person is; the attack had the desired effect.

Benji draws the sword from its current stone sheath and pulls a second sword from the cloth bundle on his back. Now amidst to chaos of the critters Benji charges at the quivering mass, slashing left and right, clearing a path to his target, the human like controller of the whole mass.

End of the chapter twenty three:

Author explanation corner:

Desert explanation: I hate to say this but the whole thing didn't work out written as well as I imagined, as I wrote down the desert walk I realized how f:king boring it would be to read. So I sliced and diced it to smaller and easier to swallow bits, with scenes of the guild girls in between.

The sand bed was something to deflect most of the heat of the day, and it sounds better than trying to sleep whipped by sand blasts carried by the wind and under the scorching sun.

The tri-force constellation was the first thing that came to my mind in some group of stars for Benji use to guide himself during the night. And since Benji doesn't know constellations and stars of Rune, he would 'make' his own constellations to guide himself when needed.

The salt eating, salt is a important part of our diet, and as everyone know it retains liquid so Benji wouldn't lose as much moisture to the environment, as well keep his blood with a good level of electrolytes, there are few other techniques that Benji used that might be show later.

Oasis, how many men lost in desert wished to find such paradise in the middle of hell. Benji got lucky and found one. I won't name the fruits, at least not now, all that there is to know is that they are edible.

Ruined village and ancient salted meat. I know that it isn't wise but when your food source is running out and you have no idea of how long it will take to find more food you forget about things about over aged meat. Just for the record, in the proper storing conditions as well the overly dry desert environment salted and dried meat could last forever, well and being as hard as boot soles. Anyway it is protein.

Doppelganger-chan (provisory name, I still haven't got a name for her, and I am open to suggestions): Just one scene with her, well two if you consider the ending where she is mentioned cheering on Benji's killing spree. Other than nagging and some minor comedy relief (not much comedy I admit, but I think that was funny send the tentacle sensei after her) I still haven't developed her all that much, yet.

City in the middle of the desert: When I first wrote this fic the extended classes didn't exist, I am slowly adding more elements from the newer episodes, please don't look too much for accuracy here, I don't know much about the episodes and the stories of them. So I am adding Rachel now, I won't show yet the level of contact between the two nations.

Just for the record I want to point out that distances in maps are very, very misleading, what we might think as close is actually very far. In the RO world map Rachel is quite close of Lighthalzen, but in real distances it would be very far, and since the world map isn't all reliable please 'add' more distance between them while you read.

Since Arunafeltz is based in Israel and Turkey I made the clothes look like the ones in Arabian nights and related movies. Here more about the city, it is a frontier city quite isolated from the 'world', I will haven't decided if is small, medium or big, it will depend if I decided to make it having some precious selling stuff or something, anyway it is just a stop for Benji until he heads to a place where he can find a way back to Amatsu.

Guild girls and their time alone: I showed a bit of the main ones, what they are doing and what happened to some extent. I know that they are all doing stuff related to Benji and thinking about him, after all he is their leader and he is missing.

WoE betting: Let's face it, even today that kind of thing happens with different kind of people making other people lose fights, games and other stuff so they can make money with bets, so it can happen in Rune, especially since that world if much more rigid with social classes as nobility and wealthy.

As explained rich and influential people might want to arrange fights in the WoE to make money, betting against a guild know to be inexpugnable in the WoE and having that guild to throw the battle or lose the castle will give a fortune for the person who bet in the invading guild.

And there are people who would use any possible way to make a guild do what he wants. It is a sad thing. Anyway it happens, more WoE politics to be 'made' and revealed in the future.

Ice spear: A variation from Ice bolt. Since it is throw the range is determined by the skill of the user (Benji) in throwing a spear/javelin, accuracy also affected by normal physics laws and other factors (wind, rain, objects, etc). With a low SP cost, fast cast and good damage (MATK + ATK + DEX damage, more added if the caster run before the throw) this spell benefits in the fact that it can be 'used' (throw) when the caster wants not requiring a cast (i.e. it can be cast five minutes before it is actually throw).

Desert critter (provisory name): Loosely based in Sand raiders from Diablo 2, but bigger. They aren't strong and rely in overwhelming numbers and agility to defeat enemies. More details later.

Mysterious cloaked figure: Next chapter for more information.


	25. Time

Hi this is Benji Himura I am starting a new fanfic

Hi this is Benji Himura I am starting a new fanfic. I don't own Ragnarok online I also don't own the characters of that story or the plot; taking out the changes that I will make and the characters that I will create. I own Benji Himura and others characters that will show up in the story. It might be violence and sex in the story so if you are underage of seventeen are warned the content might be too improper to your age. Read by your own will and risk. In anyway enjoy the story.

Signed: Benji Himura

"Text" Talked sentences.

'Text' Thoughts.

-Text- Sounds effects.

(Text) Talked sentences in a foreign language

: Text: Messages show in an electronic screen or written.

**Text**: something being recalled, flashbacks, scenes being replayed.

_Text_: a detail found in a location, scene, person, recording and images that originally wasn't there.

Chapter twenty four: Time

Benji throws the muscle cutter in the wall, nailing the blade there; then Benji jumps and uses the sword as leverage as he strikes the leader of the critter horde. In a reflexive defense from the target Benji destroys the horn on the leader's hands. A loud shriek fills the air coming from the mass of critters.

Benji decides to save the leader for later and hits him on the head with the side of the blade knocking him out, a quick use of his belt later and the leader is wrapped to go. Benji turns his attention to the critters, now even more chaotic, attacking each other indiscriminately.

Not looking a gift horse mouth Benji pulls his pistol and starts to kill the critters from his position before diving back in the mass. Less than ten minutes later everything is over. 'It was easier than I thought that would be.' Benji thought while dragging his prize to the main square. 'It was pathetically easy; I didn't even got hit once.'

Benji couldn't understand the language of the girl, for sure it wasn't English, Japanese, Portuguese or even Spanish that was lightly familiar, but he didn't had to understand her language to tell that she was scared of him, frightened to the point of soiling herself in fear.

Benji sighed inwardly at the situation, sure he wasn't expecting to be loved instantly as it happened with Haruka, Haruka was the exception, and the young woman in front of him was the rule. Benji continues to walk towards the woman; he would release her from her chains.

'Wow you are pretty damn evil!' The doppelganger chirped. 'She fainted out of fear of you.' 'And you will faint with barbed tentacle-sensei.' Benji replied in a flat tone. 'WAIT!!' she exclaimed in fear. 'You said barbed?! As in having barbs in the tentacles?!' 'Yup.' Benji replied with a smile. 'Have fun.'

Tuning out of the shrieks Benji turns to the unconscious woman at his feet. With a sigh Benji turns to the church, he would ask to Seri to take her inside, it would score him few points with the sister and with the woman, as well give him time to get acquaintanced with his prisoner.

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Eight hours, one shower, three brooms and four ropes later Benji looks at his prisoner. He was surprised in seeing that under the cloak was a woman, fairly attractive too, one oddity about her is that her skin is far too white to be living in the desert, even cloaked. Even cloaked for most of his stay in the desert Benji's naturally tan colored skin got several shades darker, and the residents of Pentas, the desert city all had dark tan skin, other than the church inhabitants and few women who lived inside their houses.

Normally Benji doesn't like of resorting to torture, but even he admitted that was a good method of getting information, because his personal hate for rape and what happened to Layla and the others Benji is even more wary of torturing women, but not every torture in the book relies in pain, all that Benji was using other than the ropes is a feather duster.

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"What is going on Haruka?" Atsuko asked for the multi-class high wizard. "I was going over the plants and maps of the castle." Haruka replied pointing to the large amount of paper rolled over Benji's desk. "So what, we already know every inch of this castle." Makie commented.

"Actually we don't." Haruka said seriously. "The dungeon is out of limits and other than Benji no one else ever went there." "True, but the dungeon has dangerous monsters that are too powerful for us to kill now." Layla replied. "But that isn't much of a reason for call us here." The others nodded agreeing.

In the office Benji's lovers as well Makie were there, no one else. "However it isn't that what I meant." Haruka said seriously. "And I called you all here since in this group no one will leak the information."

Now that got everyone's attention, if was something so sensible that Haruka only trusted it with them then it was important. Layla would die before saying anything that would compromise Benji, she was that fiercely loyal to him, Atsuko wouldn't allow anyone to live to harm Benji, Erika would side with Layla on the issue, while Makie could sell Benji out; but he was the first person of her world that she met and she would never betray someone from her world.

"So what is that sensible?" Layla asked seriously. "I am not an expert but some of the scales of the plants and maps don't match the castle insides." Haruka answered. "That?" Makie asked playfully. "I brought that up to Benji months ago. It was nothing more than lack of care of the architect. Benji and I checked that ourselves."

"Normally I wouldn't mind in risking like that." Haruka commented. "But Benji has the habit in not telling us things right?" Makie frowned at Haruka's words, that was true, anyone who knew Benji enough to get part of planning things knew that, Benji would purposely hold information and items that he considered not needed to know or dangerous to them.

"You are suggesting that Benji purposely altered my researches with him to conceal something?" Makie asked seriously. "I wouldn't put it behind him." Haruka answered. "I can understand his way of thinking but this issue is quite serious." "Girls the three of us are lost here." Erika said to Makie and Haruka. "What are you two talking about?"

"We think that Benji hid from us that this castle is filled with secret passages and rooms." Haruka explained. "Where you think that Benji hide those bombs and dangerous items that he doesn't want us to find?" "His Kafra storage." Atsuko answered. "No one other than him can get it."

"It is a possibility he might keep some there for emergencial use, but what about the stuff that he doesn't want anyone to know about?" Haruka asked. "It makes more sense to keep them close of him, in someplace that he can watch it and make sure that no one can get it right?"

"Right." Layla replied. "He did have those bunnies somewhere in reach in the castle." "That is what I mean." Haruka said pointing to Layla. "Before he gave those to Maria and Raki we had no idea that those bunnies even existed, what else could be hidden in this castle?"

"Things that we shouldn't know about." Layla said seriously. "If Benji hid them not telling us about them he must have a really good reason for it." Atsuko nodded agreeing at Layla's words. "The Silver Moon castle is a dangerous castle; we saw that the monsters of the dungeons aren't regular monsters, same goes with the chests in the leader's room." Atsuko added. "Some of those items are very dangerous, we all agreed that many of them shouldn't be used or distributed."

"But it wouldn't be better to know if he was right?" Haruka asked. "And who knows we might even find something that show us where Benji might be? And knowing secret entries and exit routes of the castle might come handy if we even lose the castle, we could use them to take it back."

That last argument was something that all the girls agreed that was reasonable, it was edging on cheating but was still agreeable, the Silver Moon castle is their home and they would do everything to keep it. "But even if we do go and try finding those passages and rooms how we are supposed to open them?" Atsuko asked. "They must have a special way to be opened, just breaking it open ruins the whole purposed of having them."

Haruka knew that Atsuko was right, if Benji was aware of the secret passages and rooms then he must know how to open them. It was frustrating Haruka knew so little about Benji, and he wouldn't tell much about himself.

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Benji sighed tiredly, after extracting everything from the woman Benji left her wrapped in ropes so she can be confused with a cocooned bug. Seri looks at him a bit saddened; she was bringing more sad news than the deserved thanks for Benji saving the city from the semestral fate of choosing sacrifices for the demons.

The church would house the woman that Benji rescued; a witch as the townsfolk called her, unable to speak the tongue of the city or any know one the woman was sentenced to be the sacrifice, sparing the townsfolk from choosing one from their own. Seri tells that to Benji who sighs disgusted, but at the same time he looked a bit content, sure he wasn't able to make the woman understand him and he speaks three languages and have a rough understanding of a forth, but none where understood by her.

"So I am supposed to take her with me when I move to the capital." Benji said. "But I won't be going until I am done killing the rest of those critters." "Critters?" Seri asked confused. "You call demons." Benji answered. "Anyway I learned the whereabouts of the lair, give me a day or two to build more energy and I will go wrap up."

"What about the heretic?" Seri asked pointing to the shut door of the room where Benji locked the captured woman. "I plan on dragging her with me too." Benji answered. "What kind of riding animals you people have here?" "Sand riders." Seri answered. "They are quadruped animals that can travel large distances in the desert, they need little water to survive; one drink can last for months."

"That will be quite handy." Benji commented. "I will need two of those plus a guide with me when I go wrap up the business, and to the capital I will need four, three for mount and the fourth for cargo, as well a guide." "We have already discussed that, you will get anything that you need for your journey, as well a reward for saving us from the demons." Seri replied seriously. "It might not be much but this is worth your weight in gold in the capital."

Seri offers to Benji a leather pouch. Benji takes it and opens it; a strong and familiar scent tickles his nose. "Pepper." Benji said seeing the black grains inside. "Yes, it is only roots in this land, because of the rarity it worthy." Seri answered. "Our village sells this spice for a living."

"Isn't this too much?" Benji asked. "Not for what you did." Seri answered. "Now our people don't have to fear being sacrificed for those demons." Benji doesn't say anything and takes the pouch. "After I finish with the demons I will speak with them about the journey to the capital and what will be needed." Benji said. "For now tell them that both of them are under my watch."

"I will, and they won't do anything against them." Seri replied. "They are quite impressed, even a bit scared of confronting you, unfortunately most of us aren't enlightened enough to not be afraid of the blessings of the Goddess. I admit myself that I am a bit scared of your power, but I know that it was Freya that send you to this land to stop the demons, I trust on her judgment and know that you won't hurt an innocent soul."

'Why religious women tend to believe that I am send by a divine force?' Benji asked to himself. 'Do I smell holy or something?' 'As far as I know you are downright evil.' The doppelganger said curled on her corner after another meeting with tentacle-sensei. 'I have my moments.' Benji commented casually.

'They aren't moments!' She exclaimed. 'Ninety nine percent of the time you are evil.' 'Just to you, normally I am a nice guy.' Benji commented. After that Benji resumes ignoring the doppelganger, he had bigger worries, he had said that he would take care of the remaining critters, but he has a feeling that he faced only a small fraction of them, and he killed almost two hundred of them.

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"MUTSUMI!!" Haruka's voice echoed on the halls of the Silver Moon castle. The sole ninja of the Seiryu's legions was quite confuse, she haven't done anything that would cause anyone to yell at her, and most of the times she was pretty much left to her own devices, happily being in the background, slowly experimenting the life of an adventurer along with Saeki.

Haruka bursts on the dinning hall, frantically looking all over the place for the ninja; normally she stands out as a sore thumb because of her unusual clothes. "There you are!" Haruka exclaimed walking towards Mutsumi, who was before the scream was calmly eating her fried rice, now she is looking as a cornered and scared rabbit facing a predator.

"Is there anything wrong?" Mutsumi asked forcing herself to not show the uneasiness and nervousness that she is feeling, at least on her voice since her body was quivering lightly. "Come!" Haruka said grabbing Mutsumi's wrist and dragging her out of the dinning hall.

Saeki follows Haruka and Mutsumi, while officially no longer Mutsumi's bodyguard since Mutsumi wasn't a princess anymore, Saeki still carried that duty not mattering what others said, Mutsumi was still her princess. Of course Saeki wasn't expecting to run nose first into the door of Benji's office, as Haruka shut it after entering.

Muttering a curse in Japanese Saeki opens the door and enters in the office while rubbing her nose. Haruka disregards the swordswoman, she was after all still holding the secret that Mutsumi was a princess from the brunt of the other guild girls, and since the subject was related to Mutsumi's family Haruka knew that Saeki wouldn't spill anything.

"Mutsumi you are a princess right?" Haruka asked to the ninja. "I used to, why?" Mutsumi asked uneasily, she didn't like of the conversation, and it haven't even started, and Benji's office makes her feel uneasy, even not being menacing or without Benji there for months Mutsumi could still feel his menacing presence there.

"That means that you can speak to the emperor right?" Haruka asked. "No." Mutsumi answered. "I am forbidden to speak with father, and I am supposed to forget that I was related to the royal family, it is hard enough to keep in touch with my sister." "Fine, even if you can't speak with him, you can speak with the imperial builders or whatever people that was responsible for building this castle, right?" Haruka changed the question.

"No." Mutsumi answered even more confused, she can't see where the questions are leading to. "Why?" Haruka sighed annoyed, she was betting on Mutsumi's past that she just recalled minutes earlier to crack the nut about the secret areas of the castle. "You wouldn't happen to know about secret passages here do you?" Haruka asked without much hope.

Haruka's hope grows seeing how fidgety the ninja got, even Saeki was nervous, the two know something, Haruka could smell it. "You two know something about them don't you?" Haruka pressed the two. "We aren't supposed to disclose any of this." Saeki said seriously. "Benji-sama clearly instructed us to not do it, under the penalty number six in case of disobedience, timed two for each person who learned about it."

Haruka cringed at the punishment number, it was how Benji classified to the other girls the punishment given to her when she broke into his room and changed his clothes, it meant severe ass spanking followed by rough, unlubed, prolonged, continuous and intense anal sex, until he feels tired or grow bored, whatever happens first.

Haruka knew first hand that because his level and multi-classes Benji had more than enough stamina to keep it for five hours straight, with little if no breaks on the entire time, needing only some food, drink and maybe a potion or two before being ready for more five hours.

Haruka would never admit but she acquired a taste for it after the sixth time, sure she would be out of service and unable to sit right or use the bathroom without pain for one week or two, but the feelings of those sections are far more intense than her unpunished sex, her non-admitted masochist streak have much to do with it, but she wouldn't admit it anyway.

Haruka could see the fear in the two girls' eyes, she could tell that if one of them told the secret to anyone, both of them would meet the punishment, and their fear of Benji and punishment was far bigger than any kind of feeling that Haruka could get from them, just the words Benji and punishment in the same sentence was enough to make both girls nervous.

With a sigh Haruka thinks in what to do, even wanting she wouldn't be able to convince Benji to shift the punishment from the two to her, Benji was strict about punishments, he was fair to everyone, he was a kind leader, he didn't demanded anything that they couldn't or would be willing to give, but he was strict about the few set rules of the guild and the punishment for breaking them.

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Layla is pleased, her arm and shoulder healed fine, she was aware that she needed more training, just by changing swords in the middle of combat her arm took lots of damage for swinging the heavier sword for a long period of time, the muscle cutter that Juliet gave to her was a good sword, Layla admitted that, but she liked more of her broadsword, it was also lighter than the muscle cutter and gave her extra defense, and above everything Benji gave her that sword.

Other than the esthetical, weight, attack and effects differences the swords had the same attractive, two card slots. Layla ponders quietly while looking at the two swords over her bed. The muscle cutter has two useful abilities, one of them being external bleeding, which meant that the blood on the wound wouldn't clot for a long time after the cut, that meant that the wound would be open longer and weakening the enemy gradually, the other is the auto cast of decrease agility, it wasn't much when counting the agility points decrease, but it gave a slight edge that Layla couldn't dismiss in combat, and it had a bigger attack than the broadsword.

And there was her broadsword, she was very familiar with, it gave her extra defense points, its broad edge was perfect for parrying strikes and blocking arrows, sure it took her some training with Benji throwing small rocks at her to her to master missile reflection, but now she was able to effectively block arrows, some still passed but most of them was blocked.

Above everything her broadsword was +10 and the muscle cutter was +8, it evened out the attack difference between the two, if she wanted Layla could risk the muscle cutter to get the max level. With a sigh Layla looks at her cards, she had a complete turtle set, a turtle general, five skeleton workers, two Drakes, one marina, one skeleton, not counting her cards for armor, garments, helms, shoes and accessories, as everyone else in the guild Layla got a good collection of cards, some better than others.

But since her gained the broadsword from Benji she couldn't decided on what cards to compound on it, she had other broadswords for leveling, race and status effects, she used most of her gains to get a total of six +9 broadswords, after losing ten swords plus the money and material she decided to stop chasing the +10.

However the muscle cutter was a new sword, no one outside the guild or Juliet's knights had them, and rationalizing it would be more effective in compounding the muscle cutter, it would have more effects, sure she would have to get used to the sword, but with a good training routine she would.

But it was the personal feelings that made the decision hard, she liked of her broadsword, even not being carded it was her main weapon, only traded for WoE or other situations where a carded weapon would be best. A knock on the door removes Layla from her musings.

"Who is it?" Layla asked while storing her cards back on the envelope, and then back to her dresser. "Me." Jannine answered from the other side. "Come in." Layla said sitting back on her chair by the bed. "Don't tell me that you are that desperate." Jannine said in a teasingly tone after noticing the swords on Layla's bed.

Layla gave a flat look at the high priestess. "Fine forget about the tease." Jannine said with a casual tone. "What is keeping you so busy that you have locked yourself here for six hours?" "I am just weighing pros and cons about my equipment." Layla answered. "You know that I busted my arm last time mostly because that muscle cutter."

Jannine knew that, by the lunchtime of the WoE Layla's shoulder was aching badly, that slowed her down just enough to a long mace wielding battle priest smash her shoulder before Layla smashed his skull open.

While not a swordswoman Jannine knew enough about fighting to know that a small weight variance in the weapon can have large repercussions, and Layla was fairly used to broadswords, that weights two kilos, she used it for one year straight, then she tried out the muscle cutter, that weights two kilos and two hundred grams.

Most people would say that getting hurt because such a small weight difference is pathetic, but the truth was that those people are stupid, alone that weight means next to nothing, but when adding that to a viciously strong and fast swing, the extra mass would multiply, the damage caused in the target is nothing more than the increased weight because of the speed of the strike adding to the original weight making the sword 'feel' much heavier.

And it was that weight increase that hurt Layla, she wasn't good with whatever science on it, but she knows that on the moment of the impact the sword mass would be by far greater than the original. Jannine also feels that kind of difference with her weapons, when she changes maces when hunting around she feels the difference between a swordmace and a morning star.

"Well you did force yourself." Jannine finally said. "You forgot that there are differences between using a sword when hunting monsters and when fighting on the WoE, when hunting you use it for less time than in the WoE, of course your body would feel the strain of that difference."

"I know that." Layla replied. "I am just unsure if I want to adopt that muscle cutter as my main WoE sword." Jannine could understand that, everyone in the guild had their own favorite WoE weapon and their favorite daily use weapon, which was their main weapon in most cases.

"Well Layla for WoE the muscle cutter is better than the broadsword, external bleeding is a nasty status." Jannine commented. "But don't forget that you are used to broadswords, even being strong as you are, you saw what happened with intense use when your body isn't used to that sword. We have two more weeks before the WoE, it isn't enough time for you to get used to that sword. Besides haven't you already maxed out your attack speed? You could use a one hand sword and a shield for extra defense."

Layla frowned lightly at the idea, sure she could now use a one hand sword or a spear as fast as she could use a two hands sword, she did sometimes used one or the other when needed, but her main thing was two hands swords. "Or you could try something else." Jannine added with a smile.

She leans forward and whispers something on Layla's ear, Layla smiled at the idea, yes she could definitely do that, it would require some intense training, but yes she could do that, and the best of it all that she would have to do was get a lighter sword, and she knew where exactly to look to get a much lighter sword that wasn't being used and had three empty slots, the best of it all it was +10.

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"Hey Haruka where you got that sword that you gave to Benji before our first…" Layla stops talking as soon she sees what Haruka is doing on Benji's office, Mutsumi and Saeki are being restrained by magic binds, that looked far more perverted than plain binding.

"If I am interrupting I will come by later." Layla said looking at the half naked and sweaty ninja princess and Haruka who is armed with a feather duster near her. "Help!" Mutsumi exclaimed while Layla is halfway closing the door and leaving the office. Now Haruka knew that she was screwed, she had forgotten to lock the door and the second worst person that could walk on her just walked on her, the first being Benji.

Haruka knows that Layla has a good magic resistance and more than enough hit points to reach her before she could even knock the knight out, that even wearing only a simple dress and no gear at all.

"I can explain." Haruka said before things got worse for her than it already is. "Really?" Layla asked menacingly, pulling her favorite broadsword from her inventory. "Because this doesn't look good at all." "I am trying to extract information out of them." Haruka said getting nervous, while she knows that Layla won't cut her, she knows from experience that the knight has a vicious slash even when using the broad side of the sword to hit.

"They are from our guild Haruka, what they could possibly be hiding?" Layla asked while walking towards them. "They know about the secret passages and rooms." Haruka answered, and as she hoped Layla looked less mad, Haruka had succeeded in getting Layla's attention with that, but that only lasts for one moment.

In the next moment Layla was a blur of movement and the flat side of her sword impacts on Haruka's head with enough force to knock her out, still before getting unconscious Haruka could hear Layla saying. "That isn't enough reason."

With a sigh Layla stores her sword back on her inventory. "Are you two okay?" Layla asked as the magic binds fade and the two are released. "I so need to go!" Mutsumi shouted running out of the office before Layla could even understand the meaning of her words.

"Did Mutsumi just ran out of here topless?" Layla asked to Saeki. "Well Haruka was tickling Mutsumi for a while now and she said that she was almost wetting herself." Saeki explained; Layla nodded understanding. "So what exactly happened here?" Layla questioned.

"Haruka called us here and told us about this castle having secret passages." Saeki explained. "But when we said that Benji-sama told us that he would punish us if we ever told anyone about them, she used that spell on us and started tickling Mutsumi, and said that she wouldn't stop until we told her how to open them."

Layla sighed even more annoyed, they had discussed about that already and decided that they would be left alone, grinding her heel on Haruka's head Layla wonders if she should punish Haruka, she knew that Benji would, but she already knocked Haruka out. "You won't ask us about that?" Saeki asked seriously. "Nah." Layla replied still grinding Haruka's head with her heel. "I don't really care, if Goshujin-sama believes that they should be a secret, then I also believe on that. Besides isn't like there are treasures on them."

Actually there are, Saeki closes her mouth restraining herself from saying that and correcting the knight, Saeki deeply respects Layla, she saw the devotion that Layla has towards Benji and believes that is similar to her own devotion to Mutsumi, if Layla doesn't want to know about the secret areas then Saeki won't tell her.

Clapping her hands together Layla finally comes up with something. "Saeki mind in getting me ten meters of rope and helping me to tie Haruka up?" Layla asked to the younger swordswoman. "I don't really mind." Saeki replied. "But what are you going to do?"

A smile traces Layla's lips at the question. "Well since I won't punish Haruka in the way that Benji punishes her." Layla said casually. "I will tie her down, throw her in her room and leave her there for a day or two." Saeki thought that was a bit harsh, but since Haruka was willing to make Mutsumi soil herself, she doesn't really hesitate in fulfill the request, it was just fair that Haruka experienced the same thing.

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Benji stretched tiredly, he was really starting to miss the solitude of the desert, the long hours alone, the grave silence unbroken for hours until he did some kind of noise, but that was before, now he was stuck with an overly grateful, extremely talkative, and if it keeps on, a soon to be dead futanari.

In the other side his second travel companion was totally silent, still suspicious of him, reluctant in traveling with him, but when faced with the sure death of leaving his presence she decided that Benji was the lesser of two evils. Closing the group was the guide, actually the second guide since Benji left Pentas one month earlier.

Because the long distance between Pentas and the city, the guide only took Benji to the next town, from there a second guide will take him to a third town where he would get a third guide until a fourth town, in that fourth town he would get a fourth guide that would be with him until Rachel, after all Benji was making the same path as the spices sold by Pentas, traveling with merchants.

Benji found a bit odd that the group was so small and the distances to great, even with monsters preventing robbers, such a small traveling group was dangerous, it should be a caravan traveling, while a bit wary of the explanation given that the caravans were already traveling and he was using the second party of guides of each town, such thing to be done since it takes months to the caravan return and while one group of guards and guides travel with it, a different one rests and waits for the next caravan, giving to the first group time to rest from the long journey.

Suspicious of the arrangement Benji stored plenty of food and water in his inventory, enough for months in the desert with the other two, but Benji wasn't fully suspicious of the guides, he was offered gratitude because he eradicated that desert demons race, all that he asked in return was safe transportation towards the capital, a cheap price comparing to the lives of the regular sacrifices and grief of the families.

Benji was now feeling very temptated in smashing the side of his sword on the head of the purple haired futanari, the worse part of everything is that Benji liked of the other personality, the one that is currently sleeping, but if Benji knocks the futanari out he will be forced to either carry her or tie her to the saddle, but that would scare the former sacrifice, it took that long for her to stop trying to escape and Benji wouldn't be forced to keep her chained to the saddle and holding her ride's reins.

………Location unknown……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"It has been more than three months since his last appearance." A deep male voice said wrapped in the shadows of a poorly lithe room. "Four months will be completed in one week, exactly one week to the fourth WoE that the Seiryu's Legions will fight in. This must be a sign that our plan have worked."

"We can't make hasty decisions on this point." A female said from another shadow covered seat. "He isn't a public figure as the Golden Knight, he only became public as a side-effect of countering assassination attempts, and as well for being daring enough to rub in our faces that he can enter and conquer castles whenever he feels like. Being hasty now will only add to his reputation, and it is already big enough for King Tristan take notice, he grows interested on the Blue Dragon."

"A ascension to the top 20 in less than four months of WoE is enough to make anyone take interest on them." A second male voice commented. "Being toe to toe in a duel with the Golden Knight only makes the king more interested, I heard from a reliable source that the king questioned the Golden Knight about the Blue Dragon, and as it is known the Golden Knight has a very positive view of the Blue Dragon. It won't be long before the king makes a move to get him, if that happens everything that we have done until now will be in vain."

"We need to stall that meeting, long enough so we can tarnish the Blue Dragon's reputation." A second feminine voice said. "It might sound hard considering that the base of his fame is from being a killer, but if we find something believable his reputation will fall to the ground. Maybe if we find a way to remove his main castle from the war…"

"Wouldn't that be a favor for him?" A third feminine voice asked casually. "I heard from a reliable source that the WoE and everything along it is not only undesirable but troublesome for the Dragon, and that the only reason that they actually fight on the war if to keep that castle in Amatsu, it is his home and him and his guild want to keep it at all costs. Removing it from the war would only give him what he wants, and tarnishing his reputation will also benefit him, my source claims that he hates his fame and the attraction that is has on people."

"So by not doing anything now we will be harming him more than if we acted right now, that is what you mean?" The first female voice asked. "Yes, stress can be a very damaging thing, even with strongest sword breaks under excessive stress." The third voice answered. "By not taking action now and waiting for the right time, as well using this time to gather more information on him, when the time comes our chances of success will be much higher."

End of the chapter twenty four:

Author explanation corner:

After a long delay, distractions, work issues, annoying family members and others reasons I decided to remove most of the battle scenes of this chapter, as the continuation of the battle in the main street, the battle in the lair of the desert critters (still to be named), Layla's new training after Jannine's suggestion (I won't name the levels of the girls now, but they are high enough to max at least two stats).

About the secret areas of the castle: As everyone knows (and I learned after the creation) a guild castle is something 'rather simple' in RO, and the Silver Moon castle is very different from your average guild castle of Rune, since it was made following a cross between Amatsu (Japanese) style and Rune (Western) styles there are many differences between it and a regular WoE castle.

The Silver Moon castle is closer to a 'real life' castle with secret passages and secret emergency exits (common things in castles since essentially castles are fortresses and in case of the fortress falling on a siege a secret escape route is a must). Benji is aware of the secret areas since he is the 'owner' of the castle, the emperor is also aware of them, and by extension so is Mutsumi and Saeki (the secret areas open in the same way of the secret areas of the imperial castle, so after some searching and probing they found them, and Benji threatened them into secrecy).

Barbed sensei: Just plain evil, I don't need to tell more do I?

Spices and pepper: Grab a history book; in there you will see that several hundred years ago spices were worth as much if not more than gold. The pouch with one kilo of pepper grains (pepper grains are very light, one kilo is a LOT of pepper) is worth a lot, really, really much.

Sand riders: Just because it isn't an official thing doesn't mean that couldn't exist in the RO world, after all every episode new monsters are introduced to us, and I still haven't seen a single cow in the game, but that doesn't mean that cows doesn't exist, after all, all that meat that we get to heal us must come from somewhere. Anyway they are a replacement for camels, or you expected that desert caravans would make the entire journey between cities on foot?

Travel to Rachel: I know it is quite complex, but if you think a little it isn't all that odd, is a full journey until Rachel takes several months and on each city a new group of merchants and guards join the caravan it only makes sense to keep at least a second group of guards and guides, so when the first ones return, already on the time of 'the second' caravan of the year departure that second group will leave with them giving the first group time to rest and stay with their families.

Specially since in Pentas it takes six months to reach Rachel, other cities closer of the capital have shorter periods of wait between caravans, but that also means a smaller price of their good since it is easier to get, of course that also means that the profit of distant towns might be smaller than in closer cities since there are the traveling expenses for a long journey.

Lastly, just because the world is infested with monsters and adventurers that don't mean that the world is free of bandits that attack travelers and merchants on the roads and routes, so traveling in a large caravan is safer than traveling in a smaller group.

Futanari: Do a wiki search if you don't know the term, for now I will leave this hanging.

Sacrifice girl: After seeing Benji killing she is scared to death of him, but is forced to travel with him, and she doesn't speak a 'know' language so explaining things to her isn't exactly easy, in order to prevent her escape and subsequent death in the desert or in the hands of a monster Benji has to literally keep her leashed, not a good way to gain her trust, but a good way to prevent her from running away, and to prevent her from inciting her ride from running Benji has to hold the reins to control the animal.

Secretive meeting: Secret.


	26. Intent

Hi this is Benji Himura I am starting a new fanfic

Hi this is Benji Himura I am starting a new fanfic. I don't own Ragnarok online I also don't own the characters of that story or the plot; taking out the changes that I will make and the characters that I will create. I own Benji Himura and others characters that will show up in the story. It might be violence and sex in the story so if you are underage of seventeen are warned the content might be too improper to your age. Read by your own will and risk. In anyway enjoy the story.

Signed: Benji Himura

"Text" Talked sentences.

'Text' Thoughts.

-Text- Sounds effects.

(Text) Talked sentences in a foreign language

: Text: Messages show in an electronic screen or written.

**Text**: something being recalled, flashbacks, scenes being replayed.

_Text_: a detail found in a location, scene, person, recording and images that originally wasn't there.

Chapter twenty five: Intent

"It is still awkward." Atsuko said to Layla. "Benji's movements were smoother. Maybe is your breasts." "Hey my breasts aren't that big." Layla protested. "Sure I admit that they are big, but I am not bigger than you." "I know that we are on the same size there, but I mean that Benji doesn't have breasts." Atsuko replied. "And we both know how our breasts move when we move."

Now that Layla had to agree with Atsuko, without the strong but comfortable support of the adventurers' bra, fighting would leave her awfully sore afterwards, but even that had its limits. The motion of her breasts when fighting on a copy of Benji's style when fighting Dante throws her balance off, it took more effort than she first expected to adapt that style to her.

"But other than that awkwardness it is overall good." Atsuko commented. "You got the motions well, but you aren't as confident with the sword as Benji." Layla sighed, she also felt that. "I am not all that comfortable in swinging a two hands sword with one hand." Layla admitted. "It goes against everything that I learned."

"And that is why Benji is so dangerous." Atsuko commented casually. "He readily throws away the conceptions and teachings that we have in exchange of new things. Changes are good, even being scary, well sometimes changes aren't good but you get the meaning."

Layla nodded at Atsuko, she got the meaning, Layla already knew that, she was willing to try out few things, but it was just too hard to dismiss everything that she had previously learned, and that she have been used for mostly her entire adventurer life. Adapting to Benji's method of technique and not weapon being important to kill was taking lots of work.

"But that bastard sword isn't exactly balanced for the style either." Atsuko said. "Why you don't try with that sword that Haruka gave to Benji?" "I wanted to, but Haruka is still tied up on her room and she can't tell me where she got that sword." Layla replied. "And I know very well that it isn't an average sword."

Atsuko nodded agreeing, while swords aren't her expertise she knew enough about them to be able to detect a superior weapon, the blade was strong enough to endure a brutal fight with Dante after Benji used it against several Golden Year guild members. "Anyway I need to get someone else to aid with this." Layla commented, shadow fighting and kata training only takes training until a certain length, sparring with someone else takes it to a whole new level. "Try Alexis or one of the other knights of the guild." Atsuko replied. "Not that I don't trust Juliet, but here between us, that style is better to remain inside the guild."

Layla nodded agreeing, she was planning on calling either a blue dragon or a white eyes for sparring, she also trusted Juliet, the red head had proven herself to them, but Layla as well the other leading girls knew that Juliet reported to other higher ranking knights of her order, and Benji's swift sword style should remain a guild secret until he wants to share it. And Layla knew that Alexis would be very eager to practice with her, while the Seiryu's Legions had a reasonable number of knights on their ranks the brunt of the swordswomen of the guild became crusaders, and other than Alexis, Ami and of course Layla all the other swordswomen of the guild fought on peco-pecos, making the bare foot knights rather unique to the guild.

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On the mean time the blonde knight sneezes inside the dungeon. "Bless you." Maria said to the taller blonde, her usual babysitter. "Thank you." Alexis replied while rubbing her nose with her left hand. Raki was nearby busily bashing a Firelock soldier to bits. While the girls could be in a harder dungeon, no one in the guild felt like pressing the two to level, the two are young; they should enjoy their childhood and not worry about levels and monsters that was after all the job of the adults.

And Alexis likes of her role, sure she was always worn out because of the two girls' energy, and trying not only to keep up with them but find new things for them to do requires a lot of effort, but in the end it all paid off, especially since when returning to the castle in the end of the day Alexis would be carrying a pair of sleeping Maria and Raki, who worn themselves too much during the day and needed a nap before dinner.

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Mana sighed in annoyance, no one in the guild paid much mind on her being there, everyone already knew that Mana was a constant figure on the Silver Moon castle, after all as every other woman there Mana got addicted to the bath, and Benji trusted on her more than in many others, so she was an okay person to be there, as it was Shina, however Shina wasn't there at the moment, she was busy with Ami in another place.

Frustrated and annoyed for being forced into a job by the assassins' guild Mana is moody and really wanting to forget about everything, since Benji wasn't there for her to get sex and let it go of her problems she would set with a not so close second, but a still good replacement, a long soak in the hot spring.

"You don't look as bright as the usual." Atsuko commented when the now naked assassin enters on the women side of the bath. "I had a very bad day." Mana replied, she was so used to that bath that she no longer cares in being seen naked by the other guild members, not that she had much care about that in the first place. "The assassins' guild just shoved me on a job."

"So you people do have to respond to the guild time from time." Atsuko commented, Aiko also complained of that every now and them when Atsuko was still part of the Kingstone guild, she saw that a lot in her years there, even in the Seiryu's Legions Leona commented about that, oddly enough she never hear anything about Benji, and given his reputation there is no way that the guild would leave him alone, his services would give to the guild a lot of profit.

In the other hand Mana could almost see the line of thought of the blonde monk. "Let's just say that because certain issues the guild won't ever ask Benji to do a job again." Mana said while sitting on the warm water until it reaches her shoulders with a pleased sigh. "Believe or not Benji won't follow rules or orders that he believes to be wrong."

Atsuko chuckled at Mana's words. "I do believe on that." Atsuko commented, she knew Benji enough to know that already, just looking at his reputation is enough to tell her that. "So what did he do?"

"Well let's just say that the guild needed replacement elders after he rebelled." Mana answered with a smile, sure officially she didn't approve Benji's actions but unofficially she was not only proud but wanted to do the same, but at the same time she has a debt of gratitude to one of the higher ranking crosses of the guild, so she gives to the guild a spoonful of respect and obedience.

"You wouldn't happen to know why he did that?" Atsuko asked, she was curious; the assassin elders were rumored to be the best assassins alive of older generations. "Sadly I don't." Mana answered with a sigh, she was curious on that matter herself, whatever the guild asked was so secretive that it wasn't even on the records, and the guild was always strict with the mission records, it was always used to teach the future generations. "It is some kind of secret."

Now that confused Atsuko, she knew that Benji wouldn't kill for nothing, she also knew that was hard to guilds to suppress the stories of missions, the members always bragged about doing something that the others couldn't, it was common. "My best guess." Mana started saying while resting her head on the edge of the bath. "The involved elders wanted to silence Benji after the mission, believe or not that kind of thing happens, some missions are so sensitive to the guild that a leak could destroy it, Benji fought back."

Now that Atsuko could understand, but she knew that Benji wouldn't be the kind to be silenced after something like that, if he had such a piece of sensitive information at his disposal he would make use of it, especially out of revenge, sure he would become enemy of every single assassin loyal to the guild afterwards, but that would happen even if he kept secret, the guild would want to get rid of him.

"Any kind of rumors about it?" Atsuko asked, rumors always had some validity, at least some of them. "Well some, one of them says that Benji was supposed to be a sacrifice for some kind of secret assassin goddess." Mana answered. "But he found something during the mission and returned to the guild and killed the elders that would kill him. Others say that he was supposed to kill someone by contract; he refused and lashed out on the elders. There are even few that say that he was supposed to be killed in the meeting, some party paid the guild for his death."

Atsuko could see that third rumor as being truthful, she already knew that there was people out there out for Benji's blood, and the assassin guild could very well sell Benji for a sizable sum, he was for them just a minor and unimportant piece, that could be discarded without a second thought.

Mana was also aware of the whole politics of the guild, she might be laid back and rather carefree, but she learned very young that she had to keep an eye for the plots of those on power. After the siege Mana learned quite quickly that Benji had stepped in a large amount of toes, and to make things worse he did it hard with his entire weight and grinded hard when doing so.

It was sheer luck, fear and Benji's own healthy dose of paranoia that kept those people away, his fame scared everyone, those who tried to go against him would have to face an almost unnatural luck of the assassin paired with his killing techniques, not many fought Benji seriously and lived to tell the tale, Benji fights to kill every time.

"So I heard in the dinning hall that Layla is trying out to replicate Benji's sword technique isn't it?" Mana asked to the monk. "Is she having success?" "Well she is doing okay." Atsuko answered, she expected that the rumors about that to be flying around by now. "It has been only one week but Layla managed to grasp the base of it, but the style isn't all that fit for our anatomy."

Mana chuckled at the comment, she knew that already, different gravity centers and breasts make Benji's style unsuitable for a woman, it had to be adapted, especially for someone as gifted as Layla. "I will be checking out that progress later." Mana commented casually. "I tasted that style after the siege; I know how it feels to face it."

Atsuko didn't knew that, sure she wasn't aware of everything that Benji did, but something as major as Mana and Benji sparring would get lots of attention from everyone. "So it was decent?" Atsuko asked curious, she knew well that Mana was a very experienced assassin.

"Decent?" Mana asked chuckling. "Girl if I wasn't careful and Benji wasn't just fooling around, my head would be hanging by a thread of muscle. I might be in a much higher level than he is, but he is stronger than I am." That didn't made any sense to Atsuko, if Mana was in a much higher level then she should be stronger than Benji, even being strong Benji was still limited by his level.

"I see that you still haven't figured it out." Mana commented with a playful smile. "After I spar with Layla I will tell what you two haven't learned about him yet. Girl that will be very fun, I can hardly wait to see."

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Layla was nervous, Atsuko had long told her about Mana's words, she even got a whole week not counting the WoE day to get more used to her new fighting style, even being Benji's style, Layla wasn't confident in crossing arms with shinigami Mana, even Mana still being an assassin and Layla already being a lord knight.

Mana in the other hand was quite calm, adjusting her gloves without rush, she would be using a sword and a dagger on that match, after all she wants to get a point across and would be better to do it with a sword. Other than Atsuko no one else would watch the match.

"I am ready." Mana said while picking up her weapons. "You can start whenever you want." Layla takes a deep breath to calm herself; she saw Benji standing toe to toe with someone several levels stronger than he was with that style, she could as well do the same, the gap wasn't as wide for her as it was for him.

Atsuko gives the starting sign, Layla bolts to action, Mana approved that, it was good, her speed was almost par to Benji's. Layla swings the sword in a precise arch, the swing was swift and vicious, it would cause a serious wound, that if Mana haven't parried the whole thing with her knife, that just then Layla realized that Mana was holding with her left hand.

And it was then that Layla feels something cold lightly tapping on the left side of her neck, she didn't had to look to know what it was, it was Mana's sword, the flat side of the sword, but still enough to Layla know that she lost the match. "Overall it is good." Mana said to Layla. "But you lack the most important."

"And what is that?" Layla asked still looking at the assassin and not moving from that position. "Killing intent." Mana explained pushing the blade and the knight to the side, lightly tumbling her. "You took a shot at my left side, sure it is a good area to strike, but not a good first strike, you used too much strength in the first move, it makes hard to block but when blocked it makes harder for you to ready the next strike. Your stance is also preventing the follow up, Benji's stance allows a quick response, being that whatever he needs."

Mana looks down at the sited knight. "Benji goes after vital points." Mana continued. "He selects one and strikes there with a precise strike, and that is why Benji can effectively face opponents several times stronger than he is, even when training you can feel the killing intent that he lets out, while in training you know that he will stop before hitting you can feel the pressure. He creates a way to hit there."

"But I saw Benji killing people with one single strike." Atsuko said seriously. "That is all that it needs." Mana replied. "I don't know the entire mechanics of the strike once it connects, but all that he needs is to connect, and if you aren't lucky not even your safety will keep you alive. Benji aim for gaps in armor, veins, arteries, nerves, tendons and whatever other important part he can get, you saw him chopping limbs as nothing more than twigs. You have any idea of the shock that is has in the body?"

Atsuko had an idea of it, not that she was going to tell them that. "Anyway Layla until you can read the points and aim there every time your style won't be a good copy of his." Mana concluded. "Your speed and technique are good, but you lack the insight and few other things that only a certain level of desperation can bring out."

Layla remained in silence, she knew that Benji faced some serious threats and got pretty desperate, she also faced that, but she never noticed anything. "Remember Maria." Atsuko says to Layla. Layla nodded understanding, she recalled how they found Benji and the others when Maria first arrived, she understood that Benji learned something in that situation, or in another one similar to it.

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Benji had to admit that Rachel wasn't everything that the thought that would be, sure it was a rather beautiful town, it had plenty of water there, he could smell it, but he was expecting it to be a harbor town, he learned that he would need two more days south to reach Veins that is the harbor town, from there he would have to get a boat to take him to Rune-Midgard, and that trip will take months.

And to make matters worse Benji was two weeks late to the departure of the boat, meaning that it would take two months for the next one to depart. On the upside Benji, the futanari and the guides managed to teach some English for the sacrifice girl, meaning that she isn't as unruly as she was, Benji even learned her name and the girl wasn't as scared of him as she used to.

Other than that Benji was left alone with his new charges in the capital, the people of Pentas fulfilled their promise of taking him to the capital, their responsibility ended there. With a sigh Benji fishes a letter from his inventory; Seri was kind enough to write a letter of recommendation for him, foreseeing him being stuck in the city for a while.

With no other choice Benji moves to the Freya's church to ask for asylum for a while, at least until he can find some job and can pay for a short term housing for himself and the two with him.

"I was expecting it to be fancy but this is way too much." The futanari commented when they enter on the church, Benji wasn't surprised, from what he learned that building was almost what the Vatican was on his world, fanciness was to be expected. "We are underdressed aren't we?"

"A little." Benji replied, sure he was still wearing his original clothes and cloak, now properly made cloak by Seri and the others of Freya's church in Pentas, needless to say that the clothes looked very worn out, Mai, the futanari was wearing Arabian like clothes for women and with the same heavy hooded cloak that she used when attacking Pentas, the torn parts were sewed but still looked old.

And lastly Aysu the former sacrifice, since her original clothes were taken by the people of Pentas Benji had to scare a lot of people and flex a lot of muscle to get it all back, but they were take apart and the mending together of the church didn't make up, in the end she was forced to wear a spare outfit from Seri with the addition of a cloak and a long headscarf to act as hood and mask to protect her from the scorching sunlight, and because of that she was the one better dressed of the trio, even though her clothes show how worn out it was from the long journey.

Taking out his not so new headgear Benji walks inside the church followed by Aysu and Mai. Benji greets the priestess that is in the entry, with a short explanation Benji and the two are taken to another area of the church. "Shousa?!" a feminine voice exclaimed. Benji's reaction was a shock to everyone.

His unnamed sword's tip is resting inside a dark blue haired girl slightly open mouth, ready to kill the girl at the smallest gesture. Benji's face was a mask of stone, not displaying any kind of emotion.

End of the chapter twenty five:

Author's explanation corner:

Gravity centers: Yes, that is true, men and women have different gravity centers, and women also have the wonderfully moving mass called breasts, they move even after the body's movement is over.

Adventurers' bra: A heavy duty version of the sports' bra, made to give full support to female adventurer (which we all know that are very well gifted), I know that the sprites as well the available official images of the females show that they don't use any kind of bra, but as any woman knows exercising without bras cause pain; I was raised with two aunts, one grandmother, one mother, one brother and one grandfather, that tends to teach you a thing or two about women's pain, and I also had a girlfriend, that adds even more things.

Anyway as we know RO women have large breasts, so they needs a good support for them, for any male who claims that it isn't needed make this experiment, fill two balloons with water, put each one inside one bag, tie the bags together with a strong string giving enough slack to you hang the thing around your neck and keep it on chest's height, then put on a shirt and run for a while, you will see them bounce.

Adventurers' bras are fitted to each female, they are a cheap item available in every town, female tailors adjust them to best support the breasts of the owner. I won't explain more do a wiki search for more info on sports bras.

Assassins' guild tasks: Considering everything it is only natural to a real world working guild to assign certain tasks or jobs to the affiliated members as a way to support the guild. While in the game it is hardly seen that the guild has any importance in the character's life other than giving them a 'class'.

The requests are made to the guild and they will see which member is the best for the task and tell to the member about the offer, more dangerous missions or requests for particular and/or more prestigious members are more expensive than more common requests with 'nameless' members. It is given a choice for the assassin to accept or not the job.

However as many might know going against a guild (union, syndicate) even being member of it isn't advised and can give more trouble than just accepting the damn thing. Certain member with high profiles, large influence, well known reputation or high ranking inside the guild have more of a pull when denying than an average one.

Not even a large guild is stupid in picking a fight with someone who can call an army to his aid, or has a reputation of being a mass killer, or who is very famous around the known world.

The assigned assassin might not like of the task or job but in most of cases will do it anyway. Certain jobs might be of such vital importance or contain something so scandalous that the guild might just kill the assassin to get rid of loose ends and avoid damage to their reputation and influences. This happen even in our world, how it wouldn't happen there?

Mana's lesson about Benji's fighting: It doesn't matter if you are a master swordsman, a headshot will still kill you. (Does anyone remember that Indiana Jones movie? Where that guy swings his sword in flashy movements and Indy just shoots the guy?) It doesn't matter if you have a three inches thick chest plate, a slashed throat will still kill you.

A decisive strike to a vital point is deadly to anyone. A severed limb will send anyone into shock, the same thing with an open gut. Knowing where to hit and hitting there hard, that is the key to winning. It doesn't matter if you are a level 200 LK, in real life a headshot will still send you to the other side.

I know that I am using real world's physics in a game world, that don't always make sense, take a fighting game where people use swords, one slash there won't kill even if is in the neck, but in real life a slash in the neck is lethal 99 percent of the times. But, let me stress more this BUT, Benji is from the real world, so he can apply his world's physics on others when he wants, the same is truth to every other outcast in Rune, of course, that only works if the person knows what he or she is doing, there is where martial arts training comes handy (I know karate, a little judo, a little aikido and ninjitsu, no black belts or really high ones, but knowledge is still knowledge).

Rachel and Veins: They still aren't known in Rune, so access to it is hard and takes time.

Aysu and Mai: I won't detail them any more than this, at least for now.

Shousa: It means Major (the military rank) in Japanese.


	27. Bargain

Hi this is Benji Himura I am starting a new fanfic

Hi this is Benji Himura I am starting a new fanfic. I don't own Ragnarok online I also don't own the characters of that story or the plot; taking out the changes that I will make and the characters that I will create. I own Benji Himura and others characters that will show up in the story. It might be violence and sex in the story so if you are underage of seventeen are warned the content might be too improper to your age. Read by your own will and risk. In anyway enjoy the story.

Signed: Benji Himura

"Text" Talked sentences.

'Text' Thoughts.

-Text- Sounds effects.

(Text) Talked sentences in a foreign language

: Text: Messages show in an electronic screen or written.

**Text**: something being recalled, flashbacks, scenes being replayed.

_Text_: a detail found in a location, scene, person, recording and images that originally wasn't there.

Chapter twenty six: Bargain

Benji had to admit that Rachel wasn't everything that the thought that would be, sure it was a rather beautiful town, it had plenty of water there, he could smell it, but he was expecting it to be a harbor town, he learned that he would need two more days south to reach Veins that is the harbor town, from there he would have to get a boat to take him to Rune-Midgard, and that trip will take months.

And to make matters worse Benji was two weeks late to the departure of the boat, meaning that it would take two months for the next one to depart. On the upside Benji, the futanari and the guides managed to teach some English for the sacrifice girl, meaning that she isn't as unruly as she was, Benji even learned her name and the girl wasn't as scared of him as she used to.

Other than that Benji was left alone with his new charges in the capital, the people of Pentas fulfilled their promise of taking him to the capital, their responsibility ended there. With a sigh Benji fishes a letter from his inventory; Seri was kind enough to write a letter of recommendation for him, foreseeing him being stuck in the city for a while.

With no other choice Benji moves to the Freya's church to ask for asylum for a while, at least until he can find some job and can pay for a short term housing for himself and the two with him.

"I was expecting it to be fancy but this is way too much." The futanari commented when they enter on the church, Benji wasn't surprised, from what he learned that building was almost what the Vatican was on his world, fanciness was to be expected. "We are underdressed aren't we?"

"A little." Benji replied, sure he was still wearing his original clothes and cloak, now properly made cloak by Seri and the others of Freya's church in Pentas, needless to say that the clothes looked very worn out, Mai, the futanari was wearing Arabian like clothes for women and with the same heavy hooded cloak that she used when attacking Pentas, the torn parts were sewed but still looked old.

And lastly Aysu the former sacrifice, since her original clothes were taken by the people of Pentas Benji had to scare a lot of people and flex a lot of muscle to get it all back, but they were take apart and the mending together of the church didn't make up, in the end she was forced to wear a spare outfit from Seri with the addition of a cloak and a long headscarf to act as hood and mask to protect her from the scorching sunlight, and because of that she was the one better dressed of the trio, even though her clothes show how worn out it was from the long journey.

Taking out his not so new headgear Benji walks inside the church followed by Aysu and Mai. Benji greets the priestess that is in the entry, with a short explanation Benji and the two are taken to another area of the church. "Shousa?!" a feminine voice exclaimed. Benji's reaction was a shock to everyone.

His unnamed sword's tip is resting inside a dark blue haired girl slightly open mouth, ready to kill the girl at the smallest gesture. Benji's face was a mask of stone, not displaying any kind of emotion.

Benji's grip on his sword is firm, both hands totally still and the blade isn't wavering at all, because the horizontal position of the blade his wrists are crossed as his left hand is behind his right hand, and the sword hilt is directed to his right side.

With an explosive movement Benji's left hand let go of the hilt and Benji slams the back of his closed hand and fore arm against a blade, a mass of sparks flies in the air followed by the sound of metal against metal, one pair of blades erupts from Benji's forearms with a sword's edge between them. With a smooth, flowing and strong movement of his wrist, arm and shoulder Benji not only locks the blade between his, but tears the sword from the hands of the stunned wielder.

Snapping his left wrist Benji releases the sword launching it on the air before grabbing it by the blade and smacking the hilt on the top of the former wielder's head, and during all that his unnamed sword's blade didn't even wavered. "Gaaahhh umfoyr magaaahhh kkuuuzzsaaaa…" the girl with the sword in the mouth tried to say, frowning a little and pushing the blade with her tongue a bit, she repeats herself. "You got faster reflexes Shousa…" She said now legibly, but still hard to understand. "uhhh…when you last cleaned this sword anyway?"

"Who said that I ever did?" Benji replied in a cold voice. "Why are you here Luna? How in the world you knew where to find me?" Drooling uncomfortably Luna looks at him. "Mind in taking this out of mouth? Is hard to speak without cutting myself." She pleaded. "Do I have to mention the embarrassment?"

"As if I am stupid enough to let a songstress like you with freedom to speak." Benji replied icily. "If helps I have plugs here." Luna said pulling something from her pockets and offers to him, she isn't really surprised with Benji's reactions. Benji takes the plugs and puts them on with his left hand, his sword still held on Luna's mouth with his right hand.

"If was anyone else I would be really mad." Luna commented looking at Benji after he pulls his sword from her mouth. "Anyway I didn't know that you were here, I came on a contract with her." Then Benji pays more attention to the girl that he had hit earlier. "You know if she is an attacker, the level back there fell a lot since I left." Benji commented looking at the still dizzy young woman.

"Not everyone was blessed with a built as yours." Luna replied casually. "And Saya is good attacker; she got twenty seconds above of your best time." "Can anyone explain what is going on?" A priest asked to Benji and Luna. "It was just a misunderstanding among old acquaintances." Luna replied with a smile. "Nothing serious, this is almost like a greeting among our old group. Just give us few minutes father."

Aysu and Mai look at Luna, the girl wasn't wearing modest clothes, her short skirt was just centimeters away of not covering anything and her top barely covered her young body, her dark blue hair tied in a spiked style and her skin very white, even more than Mai's, Luna was very small the top of her head almost didn't reach the middle of Benji's chest, they couldn't understand why Benji held such a tiny girl as a threat, the girl in black clothes and with red and black two tone hair, wearing a light armor who was holding the sword, now that they could see as a threat.

"So what you are doing here?" Luna asked to Benji. "It took me three months to get here by boat to act on this contract." Benji sighed before answering. "An accident four months ago. I was transported to a desert months away from here." Benji points to Aysu and Mai with his thumb. "And I got two strays attached to me along the way."

Luna chuckled at that. "And now you are stuck here until you get a boat out of here." She commented casually, Benji nodded confirming. "So Shousa, if I offered you a ride back, what would you think?" "And what exactly that would cost?" Benji asked raising an eyebrow at the offer.

"Your services as front attacker." Luna answered with a smile. "While I am confident that Saya can deal with this, I want her to see her predecessor in action; she is after all the new promise of the clan." Benji eyes the still fallen girl. "I really don't see that." Benji commented. "She just got a little slap and is still out of service."

"Not everyone has a thick skull as you and the others you know?" Luna teased. "And I am offering you a free trip back home in a private ship, no fees at all, and let's add this, I won't tell this to the manager if you don't." "Now I can agree with that." Benji replied thoughtfully. "Junko is a pain."

"So we have a deal? You help us to kill this threat and we give you and your strays a trip back to Glast Heim city." Luna asked. Benji was going to accept, Glast Heim city was just three hours away from Glast Heim dungeon on foot, and that was two weeks away from Geffen, and Glast Heim dungeon has a Kafra that can warp them to Amatsu.

"As long Junko and the others doesn't hear about this we have." Benji answered. "That is easy, I can make Saya keep quiet about this." Luna replied with a smile, with Benji there the whole mission will be a walk in the park.

"So mind in dragging my partner or I have do suffer to do it?" Luna asked to Benji while pointing to Saya. "I guess that I can give you a hand with that." Benji replied grabbing Saya's right ankle and dragging her away, following the priests.

Twenty minutes later after Benji and his companions are given a room Benji visits Luna. "So what is the contract anyway?" Benji asked after Luna let him in. "There is a strong monster that is rampaging on the area between Rachel and Veins, a very strong monster." Luna answered. "We have to kill it."

"Luna!" Saya exclaimed angrily, she had recovered her full conscience few minutes earlier and wasn't supporting the alliance at all. "He is a traitor! You shouldn't trust on him!" Benji chuckled at that. "Junko is still pissed?" He asked casually. "Yes, and she isn't the only one." Luna replied.

Benji turned serious and sighed. "How did Shiranui take it?" Benji asked in a concerned tone. "Very bad." Luna answered honestly. "It broke her heart you know it? It wasn't even because you left her behind, but because you never asked her to go with you."

Benji sighed. "You remember very well how I was then." Benji said seriously. "I hardly had enough emotional condition to take care of myself, much less of others, the ones that followed me in the desertion did because they could take care of themselves."

"That might be true, but she is still a woman." Luna replied seriously. "That kind of hurt isn't forgotten by us. And don't you think that we haven't heard about you, it is kind of hard not to. It took you seven months after you deserted to find stability, why you haven't at least sent her a letter?"

"Hello? Having a guild isn't the same of having stability in my life." Benji said with a not so small dose of sarcasm. "And just when I thought that I would get some stability both mental and physical I am sent to the middle of a desert in the middle of the nowhere! You have any idea of how I hate deserts?!"

Luna knew, back in the days she heard him complaining about them, and he had reasons to. "And now you are months away from your guild, what you will do next?" Luna asked. "Longer you let things hanging more she will hate you." "I cross that bridge later." Benji replied flatly with a weary sigh. "Back to my original question about the mission, what is the intel available?"

"Not much, not many people lived after meeting the thing." Luna answered. "It is supposed to be some huge animal with a large and heavy blade." "Baphomet?" Benji asked confused. "This far from Rune?" "It might be a possibility." Luna replied. "But we believe that isn't, the odds is that is a unique monster of this region."

"Senpai!" Saya exclaimed. "Hush you!" Luna snapped at the bi-colored haired girl. "Listen closely, I have decided to recruit outside help, as the leader of this mission I order and you obey, so you will work with him, you don't know what happened then, Junko blew things out of proportion and because of that we lost one of the most amazing forces that ever came across the clan, not adding the others that followed him."

Saya looked away ashamed as she is scolded. "While many call him traitor Shousa is still my Shousa and no one will change that." Luna added, and then she turns to Benji. "Not ever a rude greeting and the fact that he is still wearing the filter plugs." "I reserve myself the right of being wary of a girl who has ultrasonic screams." Benji replied teasingly. "In the same way that I am wary of the girl who can kill using a dance."

Luna chuckled at his words, some things never changed. "Anyway the strategy is simple, you two attackers beat the crap out of it, I will support from the back with healing and boosting." Luna changed the subject. "Of course that we first need to locate the monster, can I count on your tracking skills Shousa?"

"I won't make promises." Benji replied with a shrug. "Sand can as easily erase tracks as it can make them, besides I have no idea of what kind of tracks that monster will leave." "We cross that bridge when it comes." Luna replied with a teasingly smile. "We will leave in two days so we can all rest, and Shousa I noticed that you were traveling heavy, so lessen your load, I need you to travel light and move fast."

"Hai, hai." Benji replied teasingly. "On the meantime see if you can get more accurate intel, I don't like blind incursions like this." "I will Shousa." Luna replied playfully. Benji leaves the room and Saya turns to Luna. "Why you are doing this?" She asked angrily to the songstress. "The orders were just for us to kill whatever it is."

Luna sighed annoyed. "Honestly I don't think that going after an unknown monster with such small party is wise in the first place." Luna said seriously. "It has supposed killed everyone that met it, including trained guards, and let's admit it Saya, you doesn't have enough experience or skill to face a MVP alone, my guess is that this monster might be one, and if it is we will need Shousa with us, his hit point total is huge, and he is strong and fast. And you still can't turn tides by yourself."

"My level is much higher than he was when he deserted." Saya muttered annoyed. "True, but still you can't beat his times, and his level now is much higher than yours." Luna replied. "Don't forget that less than one hour ago you were rendered totally defenseless by him and he only used one hand and three moves against you."

Saya bites her tongue angrily at that, she remembered that very well, her pride was hurting even more than her head. "And as I said this is a good opportunity for you to see your predecessor in action, trust me you will learn a lot." Luna added with a grin. "For now rest, you will need the energy."

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After sparring with Alexis few times Layla started to realize something, the swift sword style that she is using is good in one against one battles and in open areas, but she began to understand that it was hard to use in crowded areas or in closed spaces, the arches that she is creating with her slashes are fast and vicious but required space to achieve the full potential. So using it in the WoE when in a tight rank with her guild sisters were a problem, she would hit them by accident, wounding them unintentionally.

And that was the reason that brought her to the monster crowded Orc Dungeon, because the late hour the dungeon was mostly devoid of adventurers, and her level was so high that being mobbed there wasn't much of a problem and she would be able to escape much before anything happens.

More she fights more Layla finds problems with her form, the slashes lose momentum in mid arch as she slashes three or four orc zombies or orc skeletons, she was unable to move properly between the mass of monsters around her, while dodging many strikes some still hit, the damage is minimal but is starting to annoy her.

"You are doing it wrong." An unknown feminine voice said to the silver haired knight when she kills the entire mob. Layla turns and looks at the offending commenter, she faces a tall girl with long black hair tied in a ponytail, with emerald green eyes and a very white skin; she is wearing a light armored altered version of the male assassin clothes mixed with female knight chain dress armor in black colors.

"And what I am doing it wrong in your opinion?" Layla asked defiantly, she can't believe that a total stranger would know more about Benji's technique than she does. "You are relying too much in speed for the swings." The young woman answered. "Since you aren't using your muscles your sword loses momentum and speed when cutting through the enemies."

That surprised Layla, the explanation was so logical and precise that she had to know about what she is talking about. "I use a similar style, unless you put power in those slashes you won't be able to do much." She continued. "Like this." She slashes an orc zombie in half with a clean, swift and smooth arch, and she only used her right arm for it! For that effect Layla was twisting her shoulders and swinging the sword hard for the motion.

"Unless you put more muscle on it, you won't be able to swiftly kill any mobs." The woman added. "What sword are you using?" Layla asked to the woman, it has to be the sword, just that swing couldn't be so brutally different than hers. "Then let me turn the question back to you." The woman replied. "Which sword are you using?"

Layla shows her bastard sword to the woman. "It isn't bad, but isn't a surprise to see you with such bad habits with this." The woman commented. "You are trying to run before walking, you need to use one of these." Then she shows to Layla her sword. "This piece of…!" Layla stops herself before making a total fool of herself.

The brunette chuckled. "Go ahead, I don't really mind it." She said casually. "How you cut that orc in half with this?" Layla asked shocked, she had every right to; the other woman's sword was nothing more than a sword, a cheap one hundred zenys sword that you can find in every city, the second most basic weapon of Rune-Midgard.

"As I said muscle." She replied seriously. "Speed is important but inside bodies there are bones, it isn't all muscle and other soft tissues, while speed alone can clean one bone or two, you need strength to cut three or more, it is a precise balance of speed and strength, large arches against multiple enemies evenly spaced around you require that, you will meet more than one bone if aiming for the thigh."

Layla nodded understanding, that logic made sense but still doesn't explain why using the cheapest one hand sword of the world and making it cut better than her bastard sword +10. "And the most important thing when training this, you need to downgrade your weapon." The brunette added.

"Downgrade my weapon?" Layla asked confused. "Use a weaker sword." She explained. "If you can achieve the same result with this sword as if you would with a bastard sword, imagine the damage that will be cause if you use the bastard sword. You need more strength to cut with this cheap sword than with the bastard sword."

It made sense, Layla admitted that. "And when you can do this." The woman said while walking to one of the barricades of the dungeon, then she dashes and with a graceful movement she cleanly slices six logs with the slash. "With this sword, you can do even more with a really good one, now if you can do this with a barricade you know what can be done with a softer target."

Layla stared in awe, for a moment she saw Benji's figure there as the unknown woman slashed the barricade. "One last piece of advice, train first on wood. Go to a forest; chop a tree with your sword, then start cutting off the branches, then start to cut the trunk in three meters tall pieces." The woman said while walking back to Layla. "After that is done bury the logs vertically one meter deep in the ground then slash away when they are firm, that will teach you to cut hard objects and to use your muscles to free the sword when it is trapped in the wood."

"And that really works?" Layla asked seriously, if does she will do it and do it religiously. "Yes, it works well." The woman answered. "If you feel that is getting easier to cut start adding more things around the logs, ropes, leather ropes, chain mail, you increase the hardness of that cover as you feel the need."

Layla nodded understanding, making sure to recall every detail. "Where you learned all this?" Layla asked curiously. The woman sighed and looked a bit depressed. "I learned from someone." She answered. "I don't like talking about that." Layla nodded understanding, it was a hard subject so she won't press it.

"I am really thankful for your advices." Layla thanked the woman honestly. "May I ask you name? I am Layla." "I am Nemu." The brunette answered. "It was nice to meet you Layla, but I need to keep moving, I already got what I was looking for down here." Nemu chuckled casually. "I have been hunting for that damn card for three weeks."

Layla could understand that, card hunting is a very frustrating thing that requires lots of time and patience; it wasn't a shock to find Nemu still in the dungeon at that late hour. "We might see each other some day." Nemu said with a smile. "I hope that by then you have improved some more, we might spar that day, it would be fun." "For sure it would." Layla replied smiling back. "I will try meeting your expectations on that day."

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Benji throws a leather bag over this bed in the temporary room in Freya's church, with one more day to the departure for the monster hunting Benji needed to adapt few things, his armor was heavier and bulkier than the required, after all when he worn that one he was facing humans, a little extra defense even if meant more weight was an okay trade, but for the unknown monster Benji agreed that was better use a lighter armor, better mobility and speed will be better off than higher defense.

Once again Benji had to face the fact that his larger and taller than average build made buying stuff hard for him, Benji ended buying chain mail, not the ready armor, but a whole sheet of it, as well several metal cutting tools and other smaller ones, fitting the damn thing on him would require a lot of work and some time, since he didn't had anything better to do anyway it was a welcomed distraction.

Having a grandmother that sewed clothes for everyone in the family, not having many choices of entertainment in his childhood and watching part of the process of designing clothes allowed Benji to know how to make a mold, it panged a little to recall of his childhood and the family that he might never see again, but the pang was bittersweet.

Tracing the outline of his shirt on the mail with chalk Benji has an idea of where to cut, he purposely adds one extra inch in the outline, knowing that the 'sewing' would be the weakest part of the armor if done wrong. While Benji works on that Aysu and Mai are in the middle of an English lesson, with the futanari teaching the former sacrifice more English with the aid of a picture book borrowed from the church.

"That 'ching ching' noise is really annoying." Mai commented while Benji is moving the mail, then her hairs stands in the ends when he starts to cutting the mail with a large and thick pair of scissors. "Now you are missing that one, aren't you?" Benji asked teasingly, he wouldn't stop anyway.

Mai clicks her tongue annoyed and pulls Aysu away; if they can't study there they will do it another place. Mai stops in the middle of the hall, Luna and Saya are there, Benji haven't explained what happened so the two strays were wary of the duo. "Don't get so tense around us." Luna said to the two. "We won't do anything to you or Shousa. What you two saw are nothing more than some harsh past between us, thanks to a third party."

"Right now I just have one question." Mai said to Luna. "Why you keep calling him Shousa?" Luna chuckled at that. "It was his rank in our clan." Luna answered. "Seven weeks, that is all that it took for him to get that high, the best front attacker that we had, and that before he got this far. His build is just perfect for that." "I am even more lost now than before." Mai replied. "What exactly does front attacker means? What is that clan and build thing?"

"Front attacker means the person who rushed deep on the enemy lines without any kind of support or defense other than what himself can provide in order to destroy the structure of the enemy, or in certain cases fully wiping out the enemy." Luna explained in a matter of fact tone. "His build I mean his body build, his build gives him naturally superior strength and vitality, however Shousa's body is also fast, and quite surprising flexible and nimble for his size, so he can not only endure an type of abuse that would stop others, but he can also move faster and dodge better than many, girl you would be shocked in see how he can twist some of his joints."

"I am getting quite curious." Mai commented about the flexibility part, she could imagine some very interesting things with that particular trait in mind. "The clan is a group that Saya and I belong to and that Shousa used to for a short while." Luna added. "He cut ties with the clan after an aggressive conflict of opinions with our clan leader, they had very different opinions in a certain subject, a touchy one, I won't get in more details on that."

"And you want us to believe that just that is enough reason for him to put a sword on your mouth?" Mai asked to the songstress. "Considering that when he left, he took some rather extreme measures that really enraged our clan leader, that is utterly enraged at him." Luna answered. "And that she also lashed out on him quite badly as well, anyway she is angry at him and as you can notice on Saya, the newer members who weren't there when it happened think about him as a enemy, adding to the fact that a group of people that were there disliked him, isn't surprising that he reacts like that, after all he doesn't know who will attack him on sight or not."

It kind of makes sense to Mai, Benji was just protecting himself. "And you don't hold any grudges at that?" Mai asked surprised. "It offended me a little, seeing that he suspected of me, but he was always wary around me." Luna answered casually. "Besides I knew that he wouldn't hurt me unless I gave him a reason to, I knew that he was skilled enough to not hurt even with the tip of his sword on my mouth, which was made certain by the fact that he smacked some sense on Saya and I even got a scratch on my mouth."

"Why you have that much trust on him?" Saya asked a bit disgusted at that. "Because I know him." Luna answered. "I know what happened, plus he saved my cute ass enough times in the past, I waged war along him, you got lucky that it was over when you joined."

"Why is the darker one so silent?" Luna asked to Mai while pointing to Aysu. "She doesn't speak English all that well." Mai answered. "Most likely she makes forty percent of what we say if that much, Benji and me are still trying to teach her more English, which is the reason that we left the room, he is cutting this metal ring fabric and is making an annoying noise."

"I see; then it is okay for me to drop by." Luna commented. "I got some things that I want to speak with him." Luna and Saya walk towards the room that Mai and Aysu left, while the other two move to a quieter area of the church.

"So you are crafting a new armor." Luna commented when entering on the room and seeing Benji cutting a circular hole on the mail. "When I said travel light, it didn't mean to you to not use your current armor." "That armor doesn't have the amount of mobility that I like when dealing with large monsters." Benji replied casually. "And I needed a new chain shirt anyway, but you aren't here to tell me that."

"Nope." Luna answered sitting in one of the free beds. "After visiting a lot of places and talking to a lot of people I got a bit more of information for us." Benji puts the tools and the mail down and listens to the songstress.

"The thing is supposed to be huge, the rumors aren't accurate but, we should expect at least to be as big as Baphomet." Luna said seriously. "As heavy too, I am not sure his defenses or weaknesses, but based on this environment and type of monsters around I am guessing that fire and poison won't do any good, and we should also consider that it might be an MVP and that he has slaves."

"The slaves aren't my concern here." Benji replied. "But attacks like quake, I can minimize the damage with precise jumping but still is a lot of damage." "Based that earthquake is an rare attack is safe to assume that he doesn't have it, but be wary anyway, is a whole new monster, it might have new ones."

Benji nodded understanding, he had also thought that. "Lastly how we share the loot, if it drops any." Luna said casually. "Well I call first for card and weapons." Benji replied. "But we decide that after we kill it, not before, and in the end I don't care much, but if it interests me I let you know." Luna nodded, it mostly how she wanted things to be.

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Benji ties his boots tightly, the rim of his pants are tied over the boots, Benji did that to prevent sand from entering on the boots, as well from any unwanted insects or snakes from climbing in on his legs, next Benji puts on and tightens the chain armor, using small metal hooks Benji fasten the open sides of the mail, covering one side with the other, the same technique is used on his arms, then he puts on a stripe of mail on his neck and fastens it close before fastening it to the chain shirt.

Over everything Benji puts on a shirt with some clothe stripes hanging on it, using the stripes Benji tightens the shirt on his body, almost like a kimono. Lastly he puts on his combat gloves and picks his unnamed sword; he straps the sword on his back and on his belt for support.

Then he grabs a broad leather belt with several venom knives on it, he wraps it on his chest over his left shoulder and fastens it together, he pulls two smaller belts and puts on his right and left thighs, with secondary straps holding it to his belt. "And women were supposed to be the ones who take time getting changed." Luna commented teasingly from the room's door.

"Unlike you who are barely dressed I need some time to put together my gear." Benji replied without being fazed by Luna's comment, and it was the first time that Saya nod in agreement with Benji, front attackers need to be sure that everything was in place and right, after all they are normally unsupported units and need to be self sufficient in battle.

"Hey is your hair longer than before?" Luna asked noticing that Benji's hair is reaching on his shoulder blades. "Yesterday wasn't like that." "Actually it was." Benji answered. "Since I am not cutting it for almost one year it is longer, normally I just keep the extra length hidden under my clothes."

Benji lightly combs his hair with his fingers before holding it together with his left hand; with an elastic band Benji ties his hair in a ponytail at the base of his neck. Benji shoulders his cloak and headgear before wrapping his coat around his other weapons and most of his items, tying it tightly together around the muscle cutter, in a tight and long bundle that he places next to his bed.

"Okay I am ready." Benji said while putting on the cloak. Luna nodded and they leave the room. Benji had already told to Mai and Aysu that he would be returning in three days. "It has been a while since I last worn a single layer of armor." Benji commented as they walk on Rachel's streets, partially empty by the early hour.

"Considering the sheer power of multi layers isn't a surprise." Luna replied in the same casual way that Benji spoke. "You can stack several light armors and get a better defense than one heavy armor of the same weight, and that not adding the pluses. But most adventurers fail to realize that."

Benji nodded agreeing, he knew that it was true, most people were so unimaginative that they don't even consider wearing more than one piece of armor, garment or accessories, Benji normally stacked the three of them and normally wears six layers of armor, three or four garments, and at the very least ten accessories, when not more as he can add extra platings to any part of his body when needed increasing even more his defense, and all that hardly weighted more than a full plate.

Of course that also allowed Benji to stack up effects, card slots, defense, and many other benefits of each individual armor of his regular set. Of course that it required extra time to get dressed or change clothes, but it was a small price to pay for defense 89, not adding the VIT defense. It could be a bit bulky with the wrong setting but if done right wouldn't be any bigger than a regular armor.

"And are you sure that you want to walk on the desert like that." Benji said to Luna, she wasn't wearing more than her regular clothes, Benji knows very well how unforgiving the desert sun can be. "Saya is carrying my cloak and hat, but I don't feel like wearing them." Luna answered. "It is too hot, I feel hot just by seeing you all wrapped up like that." "Ditto." Saya added.

Benji was indeed nicely wrapped inside his cloak and headgear, with very little skin exposed to the air, but he wasn't only used to that by now, as he was feeling quite refreshed, he wasn't even sweating while both Saya and Luna are sweating, and it wasn't even five in the morning.

"In this way I lose less water, plus the moisture inside the clothes helps me to remain cool too." Benji said to the two. "Not to mention that I won't get sunstroke or any other sun related problems, trust me you don't want to feel sunburn and start peeling on the middle of the desert, it will only make things worse."

Benji knew from experience that after a whole day in the summer sun would make his skin sensitive to heat, pain and rubbing in the other day, and it would hurt too, as well make him feel much hotter than the air around him, he learned that when a kid, so he wouldn't risk that in the desert, specially without any kind of sunscreen.

Not only aware of the negative effects of the sun and heat, Benji also struggled a lot to find a pair of sunglasses in Rachel, while not his favorite type, the reddish tinted glasses was better than nothing, what really bothered Benji it was the red tint on everything, similar to when he got blood on his eyes, it made his eyes tear lightly and also lured his bloodlust, with a sigh Benji knew that he would have to get used to that, he can't be tearing all the time, it would waste water.

However heeding Benji's warning both Saya and Luna wrap themselves in their cloaks, hats and masks, some discomfort was preferable to pain, more severe problems later on.

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"DON'T DO THAT!" Saya exclaimed startled by a venom knife that hits the sand just half meter from her left foot, burying itself deep on the sand. "Why in name of heaven you did that?!" She asked outraged. "Because of this." Benji answered while pulling the knife from the sand, on the blade, nailed by its head is a snake.

Saya paled while looking at the snake, it wasn't a snake monster, but a snake; and she could tell that was poisonous. "And we got lunch." Benji commented with a smile, while pulling the knife from the dead snake's skull. "I am not going to eat that!" Saya exclaimed in horror at the idea.

"More for me, roasted snake is delicious." Benji said while stashing the snake on his inventory, in the desert you always take whatever food it gives you, being that whatever it is, Benji knew that very well, even with two weeks worth of food and drink in his inventory he wouldn't just throw away fresh meat.

Luna really didn't cared about that, at the least she would try before making an opinion, and she knew that by now Benji had more knowledge of survival in the desert than most people, that being the reason that she didn't complained about Benji being carrying over ten kilos in his inventory while she and Saya are together carrying only six, not counting weapons and armor.

"Anyway." Benji said while turning to Luna. "Are you sure that this monster is in this area?" "The intel says that it lurks in the fields between Rachel and Veins." Luna answered. "It is a lot of ground." Benji sighed at the idea of walking even more; his feet had barely recovered from walking on the desert for months.

"I have a question that is bothering me for a while." Saya said. "Go on and ask." Luna replied. "Not for you." Saya replied. "For him." Benji looks at the dual colored haired girl. "Why you are carrying your sword on your back like that?" Saya asked pointing to the hilt that is poking thought Benji's cloak over his right shoulder.

"It is easier to carry like this." Benji answered. "Carrying on my side would be a bother, and it would keep the cloak open letting more heat in, while unsheathing like this is a bitch, carrying for a long time is much more convenient and easy like this. Most of the sword is covered by the cloak and it isn't bothering as much as is with you."

Saya looks at Benji's finger pointing at her sword strapped around her waist, more than few times the sword got tangled with her cloak, it was weighting on her left, and as he said it was letting hot air and sand in. While still wary of Benji, Saya makes use of his knowledge that he was sharing with her.

"I have to admit that it feels better like this." Saya commented, her side felt light, she wasn't even feeling the weight of the sword on her back as she was when it was on her hip, it hitted her thigh and rubbed against it, and as she lowers her arms now the cloak fully drapes over her body, neatly wrapping her body covering it from the sun and wind.

Luna smiled under her mask, Saya was starting to accept Benji, otherwise she wouldn't take his word and change the position of her sword, it was good for the younger attacker to get along with Benji, if she did, then she had great chances of survival in the future, with the very tangible threat of Junko waging war against Benji, being friends with Benji would ensure her mercy when others would only get death.

Luna knows how easily Junko mood swings, she is a girl of extremes, and when losing her temper would easily send them against Benji, Benji would defend himself, and the ones around him would defend him. Luna wasn't as good as Junko in seeing battle potential in others, but she could tell that Benji grew much since the last time that she saw him.

While it is clear that he lost a good amount of weight in the desert his body was still strong, while she could detect something wrong with him, a unfamiliar pressure and a unfamiliar darkness around him, she detected best was the self contained power that he kept in control, unleashing it only when needed, keeping it compact and concentrated.

She knew that if Benji was being serious her head would be in the floor when he thrust his sword on her when they met, the same was with Saya, if Benji really wanted to, her skull would be either crushed or slashed open. Counting her blessings Luna thanked the gods once again for making Benji essentially good, while with evil moments Benji in the end was good and wouldn't kill without a reason.

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Atsuko looks at Helen worried. "What you mean with we are to be spotted?" Atsuko asked seriously. "I mean just that." Helen answered. "You know what I mean, you people attracted a lot of attention, being invincible is a serious attractive, King Tristan himself is thinking on making the legions one of the regulars."

Atsuko bites her lower lip in frustration, she knows that Benji won't accept being just a pawn for a king, being used for politics and other interests, even if most of the time they would be acting as guard of the realm, fighting monsters that are invading cities and things like that.

For many guilds becoming a regular contracted of the crown is not only a honor but a ticket to a easy life with luxury, in exchange every once and a while the guild would have to send members to deal with troubles as powerful monsters invading cities or villages, it not only paid well as it gives good experience and fame.

Atsuko knows that Benji was pissed enough about the guild being forced to the War of Emperium, becoming a regular would give them free time from the war based in how many members are sent to fulfill royal requests. The Kingstone guild has built over ten years of peace, but never used them, preferring to fight every month.

Atsuko has absolutely no idea of how a refusal would be taken by the king and the court, specially the court, while the king would respect the decision when given an explanation, the court would think of that as an offence as if saying that they are too good for working for the crown, the implications of it are enormous.

"Helen you know as well as I do that this isn't a good time." Atsuko said seriously. "Benji isn't here and even if he was he wouldn't want that, he would be used as a political tool, so would the rest of us, you know that." Helen knew that all, she was in the game for years now.

Politics is a dangerous game, things hanged on a thin tread, under veiled lies and false truths, alliances were made and unmade in shadows, allies of the present might be enemies in the future if not just a stepping stone in the path of a ambitious politician. Guilds became private armies, decorations of one's power, muscles to be flexed or used against enemies.

Helen was quite aware of Benji disdain for politics, but she also knew that while despising the whole thing he also knew it's power and value as tool, being that the reason that Benji cooperates with Amatsu's emperor, it was mutual benefiting, the emperor had not only a famous guild in a WoE castle in his city that attracted more tourists than ever, with that money, but he also has a powerful fighting guild that would help him in times of need, of course as a favor that can be collected in a later date.

She couldn't see any other reason for Benji accepting the Silver Moon castle, and not that she knew Mutsumi. However Helen knows that sooner or later the legion will be approached by royal envoys, one of the advantages of being a regular for so long is that she was almost part of the court and knew about rumors on them. She was letting Atsuko know that before hand so she could get ready for it, if Atsuko was going to deny the offer then she would have time to make a good excuse to be used as reason.

Atsuko knew that she would have to tell that to the others, it was a information too important to be kept secret from Layla and the others, it was as much their decision as it was hers, at least while Benji isn't there. Atsuko's comfort is that it will take months before the visit, that kind of official thing requires a huge amount of preparation, things that will alert of the immediate 'threat' of the visit.

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"Whatever made these is very heavy." Benji said, crouched next to a trail of footprints. "And based in the recent weather the tracks are fresh, less than one hour old, we got lucky, if it winded after noon then these would be erased."

"So we are close?" Luna asked seriously. "Closer than before yes." Benji answered standing up and dusting his hands. "But the footprints are canine related; it could be quite far by now." "Still better than nothing." Saya commented. "If we press hard we should be able to catch up."

"If we force the march it will only make us tired." Benji replied seriously. "Running here is dangerous, and facing an unknown monster when tired is a recipe for trouble." Luna nodded agreeing. "However we can't just ignore this either." Luna said. "We will move faster, but we will not run. Benji you take point." Benji nodded and starts walking on the direction that the tracks are leading to.

"You know Bapho is starting to sound more and more friendly." Benji commented while looking at a large monster from distance. "That thing must be twice bigger than Baphomet." Luna said, agreeing with Benji. "Taller than Baphomet, and clearly bulkier too, it must weight two times what Baphomet does."

"Look at the size of that sword!" Saya exclaimed afraid of the large sword in the monster's hands. "Two hits of that I am gone." "I think that I can take many of those, but this armor won't." Benji commented with a sigh. "I knew that I should have stayed with the heavy armor. I am so having your ass for this Luna."

"Later you can." Luna replied, if she was alive for Benji having her ass later she would be happy. "What we do? We can't just let it walk freely, we might not find it again, and it might kill innocent people again."

Benji sighed and stands up; he takes out his cloak and headgear, wrapping the two together in a tight bun with most items of his inventory. "Drop everything that you won't use to fight." Benji said to them. "We will leave them under those rocks over there and we will fight it. Luna you brought a spear or javelin?"

"Yes I did, just in case, but Saya sucks with them." Luna replied following Benji's actions and removing her own cloak and unneeded items. "Hey, everyone has something that they can't do!" Saya exclaimed while doing the same thing as Luna. "I will be using it." Benji answered. "You won't mind a breaker will you?"

Luna sighed at the idea, the spear was expensive, but she knew the sheer power of a breaker. "While I do mind there isn't much that we can do." Luna replied while handing to Benji a black spear. "But I will be mad if you miss." "I won't." Benji said with a smile. "What is a breaker?" Saya asked confused.

"You will see." Benji answered with a grin, it was kind of sad that Saya wasn't well training, the clan's level fell a lot, at her current rank Benji had learned everything that a front attacker needed to. "Charging a spear class weapon with a huge load of energy and hurling it hard against the target." Luna explained to the younger attacker. "Upon contact all the energy inside the spear will react with the spear and will explode in a vicious blast of shattered steel and energy, the damage is absurd."

Saya looks at Benji who is whispering something while holding the spear horizontally. "It is almost like he is praying isn't it?" Luna asked casually. "Yeah." Saya answered. "Of all attackers Benji's style is the only one who resembles anything, others hardly seem to be doing more than holding the spear, with Benji is almost like he is thanking the spear."

"I can hear you." Benji replied while resting the spear on his shoulder, he was done chanting the spear. "Here is the plan, I will break the spear on him, and then Saya and I will charge at it, Luna you use the song of heroes on us, followed by a verse of protection." Luna nodded acknowledging the orders. "When we make contact use an aria of suppression on him, after that is up to you."

Benji ties a black bandanna on his head, covering both his hair and forehead that will keep both his hair and sweat from getting on his eyes. "Saya, you do your best to not be hit." Luna said to the bi-color haired girl. "And watch Shousa closely, you will learn a lot." Saya nodded acknowledging the command.

Benji takes a deep breath and walks over the rocks that are covering them and hiding them from the monster's sigh; then he runs down the hill holding the spear ready to throw it. Benji stomps hard on the ground and shouts "Storm BREAKER!" The thrown spear cuts the air in an impossible speed, glowing in a dark light before impacting on the monster, impaling it before it explodes in mass of shrapnel. And even before the smoke cleared Benji had reached the monster, with his sword ready to strike the howling beast.

Saya was too stunned to actually follow Benji as he slashes the still stunned monster, she saw the sheer amount of damage given, it was over seventy thousand points in one single attack, it was more than anyone that she knew could take. "Move your ass Saya!" Luna shouted to the stunned attacker, just then the bi-colored haired girl charged to attack.

Luna resumed the song, it was her power, her skill, unique and beautiful, and if she wanted deadly. Songstress, it was an old and forgotten class, eradicated from the past by fear of its power, with her voice she could sooth any pain, make the hopeless gain hope, make the weak strong, make the strong even stronger.

However its true power isn't only soothing, healing, comforting and strengthening, that was only half of it, the true power was in using her voice to inflict pain, her songs could kill, curse, make the brave cower in terror, make the healthy ill, make the strong weak, make even the most positive person lose even the last shred of hope.

And now she is singing for the strength of her allies, making their bodies disregard pain, move faster, strike harder, last longer, all that has a toll on their bodies, while the effects last they won't realize the extent of their wounds, they would fight even after their hit points hit zero, that only while the effects last, when it is over they would die, not the safe death, but the final death, if not healed until a minimal number of points are achieved.

Luna never hid from herself why Benji doesn't stay near her without ear plugs, Benji had every right of being wary of her, if she wished she could make him fall madly in love for anyone, for a short time, and that was only one of the things that she could do. It wasn't that Benji didn't trust her, he just doesn't trust in the fact that she is a woman, he is quite aware of how dangerous women can be. And she doesn't blain him for that, she wouldn't trust in another songstress too.

However while trusting on Benji she couldn't help in being afraid of him when he let's out his killing intent, it wasn't energy or anything, it was just his eyes that seemed to lose every trace of warmth and would suck her soul out from her body if she even glance at them, as if the kid person that she knew and cared for just disappeared and he turned into someone else.

A someone else who is barely avoiding being hit by the massive sword of what now know as Atroce, Benji's sword was already stained with blood, she couldn't even see the silver color of the metal of the blade anymore, everything was covered in a sheen of red blood.

Benji was focused on Atroce, the slaves he just dismisses and kills them when they get too close, and always using the same slash to hit the massive blade wielding beast. He is also aware of Saya's position, it isn't that he doesn't trust on her, he just doesn't trust on her, and losing sight of an ally in battle is dangerous, you don't want to hit an ally by accident.

Saya was surprised with everything, she knew that she was outside her level, far off it to make things worse, she had absolute no idea of why the clan thought that she was ready to fight such a monster, it was stronger than everything else that she had ever fought against. Her sword was barely giving more than two hundred points of damage while Benji's was over two thousand points and he was striking faster and harder than she was. Her only lucky break was that the monster was focused on the biggest threat and that means Benji, she knows that once she is the target she will be dead in the first hit.

But now Saya understood why Benji's reputation in the clan was shrouded in fear, respect, jealousy and by some anger, Benji's slashes weren't only viciously strong, they were fast, and not only fast in ASPD fast, but fast 'I know what I am doing' fast, very different from knights and other attackers, the accuracy was stunning, Benji was hitting precise areas that are reducing Atroce's strength, speed and endurance.

Benji was only hit twice, and both times Benji blocked the entire damage and the brunt of the attack with his sword, before countering hard, scoring hits in Atroce's stomach, both hits were deep and are bleeding profusely, the insides almost getting out by the cuts. And above anything else, Benji haven't even broken a sweat, and one full minute of combat has already passed. And Saya never noticed that a massive blade was coming her way.

End of the chapter twenty six:

Songstress: One of my original classes, as described in the story, it was an old and forgotten class, eradicated from the past by fear of its power, with her voice she could sooth any pain, make the hopeless gain hope, make the weak strong, make the strong even stronger.

However its true power isn't only soothing, healing, comforting and strengthening, that was only half of it, the true power was in using her voice to inflict pain, her songs could kill, curse, make the brave cower in terror, make the healthy ill, make the strong weak, make even the most positive person lose even the last shred of hope.

This class is closer of the bard class in RPG, not MMORPG, or RO, the bard class in classic RPG, that uses his songs to boost the companions or against the enemy. Here Songstress is part of what I call "Forgotten Classes" (or abandoned classes, depending of who speaks about it), those are classes that by passage of time, lack of interest of people, or even fear from people, were forgotten or abandoned, replaced by other classes (official or newer classes).

The effects of songstress is similar to the classes bard and dancer, but as we all know those two classes are much more limited in range and effectiveness, those two have a range of few 'meters' around them, the songstress has a range limited only by her voice's range.

Skills/songs:

Song of heroes: Every fantasy world has songs about heroes of the past or something else inspired on heroes or to inspire the listeners when singing about heroic deeds, plainly is a song that boosts the fighting power of the allies.

STR, DEX, VIT, AGI, ATK, ASPD, DEF and HP are doubled for 30 minutes, for ASPD it means a 20 percent boost of speed, the cost of the boosting is a constant loss of HP during the skill duration, 1 percent of the maximum boosted HP every minute.

The safety of the affected people will be disabled and during the skill duration final death is nullified and a negative amount of hit points can be stacked, but at the end of the skill effects the person with negative points will literally drop dead right then, unless healed to at least one third of the original maximum hit points.

Verse of protection: As the name says the effect is boosting the defense of the targets, both magic defense and regular defense, no side effects, lasts for 5 minutes.

Aria of suppression: It suppresses the use attacks and skills that rely on SP of the targets for 3 minutes. It can't be casted again in the same target for 5 minutes after the effects of the previous aria ended.

Front attacker: It can easily be confused as any melee class that specializes in close combat (knights, crusaders, monks and others), but is a class itself with several branches on it, each branch being mostly related to the main weapon of the attacker. The function is simple, break through formations and bring chaos to the enemy's ranks by killing officers and attacking the troops.

In orders to do that it needs to be independent of rear support of the main forces, as well being fast, strong, accurate, having a high defense and hit points, not only experts in close combat front attackers can also have magic related skills to enhance their independence of support from the rear.

For the moment no more explanations for this forgotten class.

Clan: More details are secret for now.


	28. Path back home

Hi this is Benji Himura I am starting a new fanfic

Hi this is Benji Himura I am starting a new fanfic. I don't own Ragnarok online I also don't own the characters of that story or the plot; taking out the changes that I will make and the characters that I will create. I own Benji Himura and others characters that will show up in the story. It might be violence and sex in the story so if you are underage of seventeen are warned the content might be too improper to your age. Read by your own will and risk. In anyway enjoy the story.

Signed: Benji Himura

"Text" Talked sentences.

'Text' Thoughts.

-Text- Sounds effects.

(Text) Talked sentences in a foreign language

: Text: Messages show in an electronic screen or written.

**Text**: something being recalled, flashbacks, scenes being replayed.

_Text_: a detail found in a location, scene, person, recording and images that originally wasn't there.

Chapter twenty seven: Path back home

Saya only felt a strong hit on her gut, she doesn't know what hit her, what she knew is that she was flying on the air, that just before she lands on her ass on the hard ground. Luna in the other hand saw what happened, Benji kicked Saya out of the way of Atroce's blade, but that action allowed the monster to strike Benji with an upstroke. Benji's body is launched vertically in the air as if he was a ragdoll because the violent blow.

Benji's arms were now numb and sore, he had once again blocked the attack with his sword; he thanked heavens for his Vassala not being like regular swords otherwise it would have shattered. Benji landed hard on his back, he had enough spirit to hold his sword over his body, since Atroce stomped over him just after he landed.

Vassala as well his arms absorb the impact, the hard sand ground gives him before Benji's bones does, so the damage was minimal, but still hurt a lot. With his upper body buried in the sand Benji is an easy target, or should be, but Benji pulls a thick barreled gun and points up at Atroce, and after cocking the gun he fires.

Luna winces at the loud shot as well the following how of the beast as his entire left shoulder is now a mass of pulsing flesh, bones and blood. As the beast stutters away Benji stands up still holding the massive fuming handgun, his wrist would be broken if wasn't for the sturdy gauntlets.

Benji stores the gun again, and then he swings his sword hard on the howling monster, scoring a massive slash that severs Atroce's left leg, making the massive beast fall under his weight, crushing beneath him his remaining slaves, Benji smiled at that, and it was that smile that freezes the blood in the veins of both Luna and Saya.

Benji raises his sword again and with a second strike as strong as the first Benji cuts off Atroce's right arm, leaving the monster now defenseless, not even Doppelganger-chan dared to say anything, she was terrified, everything was different, there wasn't evil, anger, lust, or anything that she knew, there was just this cold, strong and massive desire to kill, not only kill, but kill in such a way that makes her utterly afraid of Benji, she didn't felt anything that usually was around when he killed, even that was silence as Benji just let it out.

Bringing down his sword for a third time Benji slashes Atroce in the face, hard enough to split in half the monster's face, but stopping before killing it, and the monster howls and flails in pain, unable to do anything as Benji continues to bring his sword down on its massive form, every time making a new deep and vicious cut.

Saya watched in horror as Benji just plays with the kill, purposely stalling the killing process, just inflicting mind shattering pain in his helpless victim, no longer enemy, no longer target, just victim. Blood flies around as it arches following Benji's sword swings, staining the compacted sand with countless sprays of red.

The two girls doesn't know how long it all lasted, but it all ended when Benji threw is sword down hard on Atroce's head, finally killing it, but what followed that horrified them more than everything else.

Benji stretches, with his arms high in the air, his spine popping back in place as he lets out a long sigh of satisfaction and relaxation. "Sometimes it just feel too good let it all go and let it out." Benji commented with pleasure on his voice. "It has been years since I last pounded on something like this, I should do it more often."

Luna doesn't want to imagine the implications of his words, Benji just slaughtered a MVP as if it was nothing; the monster still is a blood spewing mass of torn flesh and shattered bone lying at his feet. If Benji letting it all out means killing things like that then the world would be doomed, since he is not showing regret or even any kind of negative feelings after such gruesome kill.

Saya just soiled herself in fear, not only urine as she threw up sick, she felt the blood splattering on her as Benji swung his sword up and down, she saw rather closely the pieces of flesh and bone flying around as he slashed. And even the sound of his voice frightened her, even as he said. "I am not going to do this on any of you."

Benji wasn't really surprised, but he wasn't caring either, he had too much pent up anger, frustration and other stuff, it felt too damn good to just let it all go, he felt lighter after pounding Atroce to a pulp, he wouldn't regret it. Only twenty minutes later that the two recovered from the shock, on that time Benji was idly waiting, sited on a rock checking on the loot dropped by the now confirmed MVP.

"You weren't like this before." Luna said still wary of Benji. "I never got on this level of annoyance before." Benji replied casually. "I was just venting out. I have been in this desert for months, that means no sex, no stress relief, no nothing. It all builds up you know."

"No I don't." Luna replied. "Anyway what you got?" Benji shows to Luna the items. "I want the sword and the card, you can have everything else." Benji said. Luna nodded at his terms, she wasn't going to defy him just then, she was too shaken up for that, and if Benji wanted to have a sword that was as tall as he is then he can have it.

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Layla remained in silence, Atsuko's news were bad for them, as Atsuko Layla knew very well that Benji wouldn't accept the deal, it would mean more things for them to do. Being a regular would attract even more attention on them, when they fight in the WoE the enemy will charge on them with the vengeance, trying to defeat the guild and making themselves famous for doing so.

"Listen this is still in the stage of rumors." Atsuko continued. "At the soonest the official visit announcement will arrive months from today, and the visit date will be months after the announcement, that kind of thing especially over that fact that we live in another country makes the whole process even more bureaucratic, formal and longer, it requires official permits, gaps in agendas, preparation of a entourage, reservation of lodging, the list is huge, we will know if will happen and when it will happen."

"But if taisho isn't here when it happens?" Erika asked seriously. "We stall." Atsuko answered. "We have four months to make a reason to not accept it. And that will still leave us with several months before we actually have to use it."

"You know if you think a little we already have political reasons to not accept it." Haruka commented. "And what is that?" Atsuko asked confused. "Mutsumi." Haruka answered with a smile. "Remember that even if officially she was disinherited Mutsumi is still a princess, Benji has an alliance with Tomotaka; otherwise the emperor wouldn't have asked Benji to take care of her."

Atsuko hits her forehead with her open hand, she had totally forgotten about that, Benji had the political pull with Tomotaka, the WoE influx of people was bringing to Amatsu more money than ever, the ninja class was also benefiting from that influx, other guilds recruited them soon, thanks to the Seiryu's legions Amatsu's economy had a boost of three hundred percent in few months.

"So it is just a natural assumption that Tomotaka would purposely stall the whole thing as much as he can too." Haruka continued. "A free WoE pass would only make in influx of people lessen; it wouldn't benefit the city, and we all know that Tomotaka is using the Silver Moon as a prototype for new WoE castles that will be built in another area, by Benji's suggestion."

"Benji knew that before hand." Atsuko muttered. "I forgot that he does have some political pull thanks to his alliance with Tomotaka. But how the emperor took the news that Benji isn't around?"

"He accepted well, he understands the risks that come with a high position." Layla replied. "Mutsumi is acting as envoy for Benji in the court for a while now; it is just an excuse for her to visit her family. Anyway he won't say anything about his absence of the castle as long we keep doing a good job defending it."

Half an hour later the meeting is over, Haruka, Erika and Maiko will tell to the others in the circle of leaders about that, the information can't leak but is also too important to remain secret.

"What are you up to?" Atsuko asked after seeing Layla entering on Benji's room. "Something is bothering me." Layla answered while scanning the empty room with her eyes, other than the lack of the owner she couldn't find anything wrong on it, it was the same room that she was used to see when visiting Benji.

"If is the flowers I just placed new ones in the vase." Atsuko commented, other than the flowers in a vase and a potted plant that Benji kept there that the girls made a task of watering daily nothing else was touched, other than Benji's clothes drawer and clothes, Atsuko, Haruka and even Layla were visiting that, 'borrowing' his clothes to feel his scent.

"Not that." Layla replied. "By the way, what flowers are those?" "Amatsu's Sumire." Atsuko answered. "It is a type of violet that grows here. You don't like it? Oddly enough Benji seems to favor it." "I do like it." Layla replied. "I just find odd to see so many flowers in one stem, but that isn't what is bothering me, why you picked such dark purple tone for all of them?"

"Just half of them are dark purple; the other half is light violet and white." Atsuko said with a frown she knew that very well, she picked those flowers in the garden herself. "All of them are dark." Layla pointed out to the vase. "That is odd." Atsuko commented while walking to the desk, Layla was right and all the flowers were in dark purple, but she counted as many flowers as she placed there in that morning. "I placed five stems of light violet and five stems of white ones here to contrast with the ten stems of purple."

"Don't those smell too sweet?" Layla asked walking closer of Atsuko. "It is kind of sickening." "They do, but normally they don't do so, they have a very faint smell." Atsuko answered. "You know the perfume, I place them in Benji's office every third week of the month."

Layla nodded confirming, it was kind of a unspoken thing among Benji's lovers to make the areas where he stays most of his time look nicer, and another part of that is that each one of them was selected for a particular area for one week, and during that time the woman selected would do whatever she liked to make the place lively.

Normally that resumed to adding small and pretty but useful trinkets in his office, flower vases were also a very common thing, you could even tell who was the one taking care of a room based on the flowers in the vase. Layla placed silver bells mixed with red carnations and blue violets in a neat arrange, she had took a liking of Amatsu's ikebana and it showed it when placing flowers in vases.

Atsuko favored Amatsu's violets and cherry blossoms by their delicate fragrance, but if the season was right she also placed orange, apple and almond blossoms, and Amatsu's honeysuckle, Atsuko had fallen in love by Amatsu's flowers and she wasn't ashamed of admitting it, it was almost like the native flowers there had a much more vivid color on them.

Haruka kept simple, she was a city girl and wasn't used to stuff like that so she placed a mix of tulips and roses, mostly red, sometimes white, yellow or a couple more colors, Haruka tried, but she just doesn't have the patience to work with Layla on the silver haired knight ikebana lessons, there was so many formalities and the teacher was so strict that Haruka just gave up, she arranges the flower in the best that she can, places then in the vase with water and a never melting ice as everyone else and places it on the room.

Erika kept things even simpler than that, she made not secret that she was in the relation after Layla, Benji was a bonus, a pleasant one, so she got three flower pots, seeds and saplings and made mixed pots of violets, camellias, daisies and narcissus, by doing that all the work that she had is moving the pots and watering them regularly, with no need of selecting flowers, buying and arranging them weekly.

So the sudden change in color of Atsuko's flowers was something very weird. "It isn't getting dry; the flowers are still fresh and supple." Atsuko said confused, she also knew that it wasn't a prank; it was an agreed thing among them to not spoil the flowers placed by the others, as the flowers represented their feelings of making the area around Benji pleasant and enjoyable, for them it was the absolute offence among them to do that.

Layla sits on the empty bed while Atsuko checks on the flowers. "I guess that tomorrow I will place a new set here." Atsuko said with a sigh, the flowers there were less than two days old. "Did you realize what is bothering you?"

"Not yet." Layla replied with a sigh. "I just can't get rid of this nagging feeling that something is odd in here." "Well it happens." Atsuko commented, while Layla was quite sensitive with things like that, it wasn't accurate in what is, so pressing it would be futile. "I meant to ask this for a while but I usually forget to, why Benji hangs those swords in the wall over there?"

"You mean the don't touch wall?" Layla asked turning to face a wall where three swords are placed over metal pins, over the swords there are large black letters written 'DO NOT TOUCH OR I WILL BE PISSED!' with Benji's signature over the swords. "Benji said that are old swords of his that are broken beyond repair." Layla explained when seeing Atsuko confirming with a nod. "Oddly enough he is more jealous of those broken swords than his other swords."

Atsuko did found that odd, it was okay to keep them as mementoes or even in appreciation of their efforts, but the whole don't touch issue made it odd, Benji didn't seem to mind then checking or cleaning his damaged hats, that are in his office, not to mention that the swords are in his bedroom and not in his office with his other broken equipment display.

"Did you ever saw this kind of hilt before?" Atsuko asked to Layla after studying the hilts of the swords, it was the same for the three swords but it wasn't any hilt that she had ever seen before. Layla moves to the wall, she never paid much attention to the swords; a fact is that she was too busy with Benji to care, and they were instructed to not clean those swords, not even dust them.

"No, I mean it isn't of any style that is common here." Layla said, she saw plenty of swords, as a knight she changed swords a lot before finding a favorite style. The guard of the sword is long and slightly curved upwards as it was a double edged broad dagger split open by the sword edge, the hilt is patterned as it was made of tressed metal and as the guard and fuller is made of nearly black blue metal with a sharp looking pyramidal pommel that seems to me missing its core held only by four metal bars, and inside the empty pommel is a lighting blue gem. "I can't deny that looks nice." Layla added. "But I don't think that I ever saw this before."

"Me neither and I saw a lot of different swords, even rare ones." Atsuko commented. "I fail to see why they intrigue you so badly." Layla commented. "Sure they are good looking swords, the sheathes are solid and sturdy, maybe a tad bit sturdy since they are made of metal, but other than that they look pretty regular for me."

'That because you can see the aura around them.' Atsuko replied silently, she could see how the three swords dripped with poorly contained energy, it didn't do that before, and now they are, before it was almost like the swords were sleeping, and now are awake. "And is better for you not to touch on them." Layla advised. "Even being you or me, I don't think that Goshujin-sama would like or forgive for disobeying him on this."

"I didn't intend to." Atsuko replied. "If you don't know what is wrong we should leave." Layla nodded agreeing and quickly straightens the bed where she sit, after all she wanted to keep his room clean since she hopes that Benji will return at any given moment.

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"If you want to be a front attacker you can't be so shaken up by something like that." Benji said to Saya, the bi-colored haired girl was still shaking violently and pale because the end of the battle. "Even thought I was quite ruthless it is almost nothing compared to what I saw."

Luna had to agree with that, but she was shaken not by the gruesomeness of the final of the battle but because Benji was the one who did all that. "She is still too green." Luna commented. "Cut her some slack."

As Benji returns to his room Luna went to deal with the formalities of the contract, the monster was killed, but it was an MVP, it would eventually return, the only way to ensure the safety of the people was opening a route for adventurers to travel to Rachel and Veins, since those adventurers would kill the MVP for the experience and item.

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"Don't you think that you are going a little overboard?" Luna asked to Benji when seeing a large leather backpack strapped on his back. "No." Benji answered in a flat tone, he was carrying six months worth of dry food and one week worth of water, more one week worth of potions on his backpack, not counting his equipment. "I was going to bring more but it was hard enough to get enough leather to make this pack."

Luna just stares at his pack, she can't understand why Benji was carrying around eighty percent of his weight limit worth in supplies, the ship has more than enough for everyone eat and drink for six months. "I will rule it as paranoia induced by time in the desert." Luna commented. "You should be like Mai and Aysu; they are with a normal amount of luggage."

Benji shrugged at Luna's words, if the worse comes he will at least be ready for it, he even got a pair of fishing rods and a case full with other fishing supplies. Mai is just amazed with the ship and the ocean, as a desert people she had never seen that much water before.

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One month later the ocean lost the novelty for Mai, she was actually sick of blue, blue and blue as far as she can see, while the total lack of what to do forced her to focus harder on teaching Aysu how to speak English she is shocked to see that Benji in the other hand is keeping himself amused by fishing over the rail, the worse is that he is getting too lucky and everyday he pulls from the ocean almost two hundred kilos of fresh fish.

On the bright side meant that food won't be a problem for anyone there. Saya was actually sick of seeing Benji fishing leisurely, still wrapped on his desert gear, sited on a solid wood chair, leaning back and fishing contently, left alone by the ship's sailors and Luna, who was sea sick over sixty percent of the time, especially when Benji decides to have a taste of raw fresh fish.

"Spar with me!" Saya sick and bored to death of not doing anything shouted to Benji. "Come back later I am busy now." Benji replied casually. "And if you are thinking in cutting the line I will throw you over the rail." Saya was both angry and scared of Benji, she knew that he would fulfill his threat, and she was angry that he is dismissing her for fishing.

"Why are you fishing so much? Isn't like we need it!" Saya exclaimed angrily. "Better being safe than sorry." Benji replied, he was using sea salt from drying the sea water to salt some of the fish; he had safely stored fifty kilos of salt dried fish. "Trust me girl, when you starved once you start making preparations to not experience the same thing again."

Saya couldn't really counter that argument, she never starved before, with a sigh she resigns herself that Benji won't spar with her, as much she was scared of Benji she knew how good fighter he was, so she wanted to learn as much as she could from him.

Benji had other reasons to refuse Saya's request, normally he would have accepted it only to help the fellow front attacker, the class were forgotten and he was one of the seven existent ones, now eight with Saya, but Benji knew that his body was on the limit, several things pilled up on it in a short period, while one year sounds like a long time, in other perspectives it isn't.

Benji cursed bellow a whisper when feeling moisture coming from his nose; he quickly wipes away a stream of blood and plugs his nose hard. 'Who would know, the invulnerable dragon isn't all that invulnerable after all.' The doppelganger teased from her corner on Benji's mind.

'I never said that this body was invulnerable.' Benji replied lightly tilting his head back. 'Still your pain tolerance and stamina surely tricks everyone in thinking that.' She said casually. 'But that is a severe drawback, total healing denial, stackable from every time that you use that watch of yours. If I knew that back then.'

'As if that would have changed anything.' Benji replied in a flat tone. 'You chopped my right arm; I was without the watch when I killed you. It wouldn't have made a difference.' 'Fine go ahead, ruin a girl's fantasies.' She said annoyed. 'Sensei she is all yours. Have fun.' Benji thought with a grin and a cry of 'IIIIIAAAAAAA!!' came from the doppelganger as she shrieks in terror at the incoming tentacles.

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"Luna you are sure that you will make it?" Saya asked worriedly to the songstress. "You are throwing up a lot this time." "I will be fine." Luna replied from her bed, her forehead and eyes covered by a damp cloth. "At least like this I can keep something down."

"If you get sea sick this easily why you travel like this?" Saya asked, it was the same thing that happened when they moved to Veins. "No choice was offered." Luna replied. "Flying ships doesn't make this route; anyway there is just two more months ahead of us, it I lie down with my eyes closed like this it won't be so bad."

"And stop bugging Shousa." Luna added recalling how Saya is pestering Benji to spar with her. "Unlike you he is still feeling the aftereffects of my song of heroes." "WHAT?!" Saya exclaimed shocked. "On me the aftereffects went away two hours after the effect ended."

"Unlike you Shousa's body were under a great deal of stress because the journey on the desert, and he took some nasty hits from Atroce." Luna replied seriously. "And that wasn't his first time under a booster song influence, so all that only added to the aftereffects continuance. You keep judging him by your standards, stop doing that, his standards and yours are very different."

Saya remained in silence, she was comparing Benji to herself all the time and expected him to do things that she does or on her ways, which Benji doesn't which make Benji threaten her, just making Saya more scared of him, but at the same time she gets more interested.

On the mean time Benji is alone on the ship's deck, the night is cold and clear, the wind isn't strong, but is enough to fill the sails, and it was very refreshing, Benji sheds the cloak and places it next to his sword, his still abused and battered body was much hotter than normal, and the cold air would help to cool it down.

Benji undoes the buckles of his pauldron and throws it over the cloak, after than his armor and shirts follow, Benji's upper body is covered with bruises, the muscles tense; cuts were bleeding slowly through tightly wrapped bandages.

With a sigh Benji throws a bucketful of cold sea water over his head. The salt water burns on his cuts, but he knows that will prevent infections, and the cold water soothed the bruises and cooled his body, he knows that he still have to change the bandages and wash himself, but for the moment he just want to savor the small relief of the cold air on his wet skin.

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"Sweet land, tasty land, delicious land, lovely land, I love land!" Luna said on her knees while kissing the harbor. "As bad as usual right Luna?" Itsuki asked casually, a smile tracing her lips. "Well a certain someone was making things worse than usual, but yeah, bad anyway." Luna replied while standing up.

Saya is walking down the ramp with the luggage followed by Mai and Aysu. "Who are those two?" Itsuki asked pointing to Mai and Aysu. "I made a deal with a certain someone." Luna answered with a grin. "A someone that I am sure that you will like seeing again." Itsuki frowned at Luna's words; she doesn't have any acquaintances in Arunafeltz so there couldn't be anyone that she would like in seeing that would be from there.

"He is kind of taking a while." Saya commented after half an hour, most of the sailors left the ship, but Benji was still there. Itsuki looks at the much shorter girl. "Listen we have better things to do other than being here." She said in a normal tone. "For heaven's sake Shousa why you took so long?" Luna called while looking at the top of the ramp.

"Unlike you I actually have things to pack." Benji replied in a flat tone. "I have three hundred kilos of luggage to carry alone." "Dump that stupid sword." Luna shot back teasingly.

Itsuki stares at Benji in shock, his clothes were different and his skin darker, but she would never forget his voice or his face. Itsuki is shocked beyond words, the last time that she saw Benji he was covered in blood, driving a knife on Junko's long hair tangling it on the blade, nailing her into a pillar, while he abandoned the clan taking with him half of the oldest members of the clan, it wasn't his desertion that made her mad, it was how Junko took it all, and it was because of that Itsuki lashed out.

She could still remember those last moments, she taught Benji everything that a front attacker should know, she was happy in teaching him, he had the most perfect body for that, and had previous experience in those unfavorable combat circumstances, Itsuki could even remember the pride that she felt when Benji rose to the rank of major even before she did, or when he saved and then started to train Shiranui himself.

Above everything Itsuki recalled how Benji had almost killed her when he deserted, it filled her with pride and shame, pride in seeing that her disciple had surpassed her, and shame for being surpassed by her disciple, and it was the fact that Benji have defeated her in the past that shocks her to see him just being hit by her.

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Erika sighed annoyed, waiting in the Emperium room was boring and tiresome, too many worries run on her mind while she is there not doing anything while everyone else is fighting on the distant courtyard, even with a small group with her there wasn't much to do to keep themselves distracted.

And even knowing that they defended their castle for eight months without ever losing one battle, they still get afraid of the possibility that at any moment enemies would start pouring in the Emperium room and they will be unable to defeat them. A groundless fear since they have protected their castles for eight months without ever losing once, the guild's economy was very high. It was still mid morning, there was still many hours of siege ahead of them.

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"You could have dodged that." Itsuki said with her sheathed sword still pressed on Benji's left shoulder where it joins to his neck. "Why you didn't?" "If I did you would be really pissed." Benji replied, the strike was hard, but nothing that he wasn't used to. Itsuki sighed tiredly while pulling back her sword, she knew why Benji haven't dodged her strike, he still respected her and allowed her to vent her anger on him, thought she is also sure that if she used her naked blade them he would dodge.

The fact that Benji even after everything have some respect for her surprised her, Itsuki looks at Benji taking in more details of his appearance. "You lost weight." She said noticing how loose his clothes were, it also showed on his face. "My stomach is a bit troublesome after months underfed; I can't keep much food down." Benji replied. "But my physical condition aside, you and the others are in a rush?"

"Not really." Itsuki answered. "Why?" Benji sighed. "I have been away for far too long." Benji explained. "I really need to check on few things as soon as I can and I can't leave the strays over there alone." Itsuki nodded while looking at Mai and Aysu, the two women were carrying weapons, but they don't look able to use them, much less interact well with other adventurers.

"And how long you should take?" Itsuki asked. "While not on a hurry, we can't just waste time." "Half an hour tops." Benji answered. "That if I can warp now, for some odd reason I was unable to use warp or teleport on Arunafeltz, if I can't warp then I will head straight home with them."

"We can wait here for two hours." Itsuki said seriously. "There is still cargo on that ship that is destined to the clan, so we are staying until it is unloaded and sent to storage." "It is more than enough." Benji replied. "You two stay near Itsuki, I won't take long." Benji said turning to Aysu and Mai.

"We heard." Aysu replied. "Take your time." Mai said with a smile. "We aren't going anywhere." Benji sighed at Mai's words. "Here I will borrow you this." Itsuki said while handing to Benji a circlet. "Thanks." Benji replied taking it. With a smile he sees the warp portal that he just casted, it was good having all his skills back, he leaves the luggage with the futanari and the former sacrifice, and steps into the portal. "So hitting each other is really a greeting among you people?" Aysu asked to Luna in a casual tone.

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Almost one hour later Benji warps back into the harbor, he is a bit surprised in seeing Itsuki chatting with Mai, and he has feeling that it isn't a good thing; Luna is with Aysu and Saya. "I am back." Benji said while taking off the circlet and walking to Itsuki. "So how were things?" Itsuki asked casually, she had a pretty good idea of where Benji went, she only knows one reason that would make Benji put his guild in second place in things to do when arriving in Rune.

"Surprisingly good." Benji answered, handing the circlet to the shorter woman. "Now I can go to Amatsu without worries on my mind." "Well I hate to add worries on your mind but you really should rush now." Itsuki said in a serious tone, she hated to break Benji's casualness after seeing that things were fine. "But the word is that today there is a massive attack on your guild's main castle."

"They held it until now just fine." Benji replied, not wanting to spoil his mood. "Too fine." Itsuki countered. "Even if you are not worried, your presence will make them better." Benji nodded understanding and agreeing; besides he doesn't have anymore pressing issues to deal with other than his guild. "Since Junko is watching that castle I will be tagging with you for part of the trip." Itsuki said. "Saya will watch over the cargo." Benji nodded while picking on his backpack.

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Atsuko wipes the blood from her lips, things weren't going as well as they planned, the enemy got gunslingers, many of them, all of them armed with large bore grenade launchers, and the effect shells were packing more damage on them than anything else. Bursts of grenades were followed by a rush of foot soldiers charging at the gates, trying to break the defenders' formation with no success until then, but it was still midmorning, the day is far from over and the enemy's attacks are being very well coordinated, wanting or not to admit, without aid they might fall.

End of the chapter twenty seven:

Author explanation corner:

Vassala A.K.A. Benji's unnamed sword: If you are following my other stories with the Outcast 'Label' on it, you are aware that Benji has something that I call universal set, it means a whole set of items, memories and knowledge that I had when the 'arrival' happened. Vassala is part of this universal set, as is the CD MP3 player, the knives, the backpack, clothes and other stuff.

Vassala originally came from an RPG section, she has two versions, one of them she was a normal sword that was boosted with magic and technology during the campaign, the second version she was a powerful magic sword straight from the very beginning with more than a handful of powers.

Her appearance will be described later on the story, as well any other powers that she might have, the one power that is confirmed is that she is unbreakable under combat, more about her later.

Atroce: Since I needed a really strong reason to have Luna and Saya in Rachel I needed a strong monster to be attacking innocent people on the path between Rachel and Veins, so I decided to use an MVP, what better than the MVP native from Rachel?

I know the kill was a bit too easy and Saya didn't do much, that because Benji leveled a lot, had tons of bonuses and Luna's boosting song, among few more things on his favor. The violence was there because the idea just came like that, thought it was supposed to be later in the chapter, Saya was also supposed to do more, but in the end I just couldn't make her take a bigger role in the fighting, nor wanted to write every detail about the fight. Benji's reaction is simple, he was just letting out pending frustration, anger and other stuff, it feels good just let all go and pound something.

Benji's room and the girls' influences: It is common when living together that a girlfriend tries to add something hers to the room/house of her lover, even when not living together. So it felt like a nice detail for their connivance, since there are four lovers it also felt good to add a rotation routine, so no one would feel left aside.

The flowers were randomly selected, some are fictitious, others are real and others are just 'renamed' with an Amatsu on it, though I did do a small checking on flowers language before making the final selection for each girl, trying to find the right flowers for each one, some are just random.

The odd effects in the room are a secret now, the same goes for the broken swords.

About the new characters: I will explain more about them in later chapters, right now I just want to end a certain thing so I can move on with the story. It is enough to say that most of the new characters Benji met in the months between Mana's and Shina's departure and his meeting with Alexis and Isis.


	29. Arriving in war

Hi this is Benji Himura I am starting a new fanfic

Hi this is Benji Himura I am starting a new fanfic. I don't own Ragnarok online I also don't own the characters of that story or the plot; taking out the changes that I will make and the characters that I will create. I own Benji Himura and others characters that will show up in the story. It might be violence and sex in the story so if you are underage of seventeen are warned the content might be too improper to your age. Read by your own will and risk. In anyway enjoy the story.

Signed: Benji Himura

"Text" Talked sentences.

'Text' Thoughts.

-Text- Sounds effects.

(Text) Talked sentences in a foreign language

: Text: Messages show in an electronic screen or written.

**Text**: something being recalled, flashbacks, scenes being replayed.

_Text_: a detail found in a location, scene, person, recording and images that originally wasn't there.

Chapter twenty eight: Arriving in war

The corner of Itsuki's lips rose lightly as she sees Benji's expression, he was truly excited about returning to Amatsu, it was easy to tell that he was truly going back home, Aysu and Mai aren't excited about it, for them is an unknown place. Itsuki wonders if she should tell Benji that Junko was staking out his castle since the first rumors about him owning it reached them in their own fortress.

While Junko wasn't doing anything other than watch, based on Benji's reaction to a encounter with a clan member not saying anything might cause harm, but Junko had instructed them to not say anything about that to any outsider, and in the most technical sense Benji was an outsider, even if some of them don't think like that.

Luna can almost tell what Itsuki is thinking, it wasn't all that hard, Itsuki was even for a short time Benji's mentor, and Benji was charismatic, friendly and in the overall a good person to be with, it was hard for both of them see Benji as an enemy, being that the reason that the most aggressive interaction between them resulted only on bruises, that was also proof that Benji was quite ready to drop the enemy mark in those who he trusted before he deserted.

It sadden them to part, but Itsuki had to go to Junko and report about Luna and Saya's arrival, and she couldn't lead Benji to Junko's favorite hideout around the Silver Moon castle. While Benji walks towards his castle with his two companions Itsuki and the others move to a hidden trail that leads to Junko's observation site.

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Mai couldn't help on smiling at Benji; sure she was tired from walking so much and the travel, but Benji looked happy, very different from his distant and stoic, almost cynical self during the trip. Benji was after all looking forward for returning to the Silver Moon castle, it was his home in the harsh world of Rune-Midgard, and he has much to return to there, he had actually to force himself to not just run, ignoring the two girls that follow him just few steps behind him.

However more than Benji's excitement the two girls are thrilled with the surroundings, Benji had told them that Amatsu was beautiful and how sakura petals rained down from the multitude of sakura tress planted in and around the city, but hearing the description and seeing the real thing are two totally different things.

However the beauty of the surroundings is tainted by the sound of cannon fire, though only Benji recognized it for what it was, for the two it was a mystery, and it was that sound that made Benji run, forcing the two surprised girls to chase him. They catch up with him out of breath and sweaty, even though Benji is carrying three hundred kilos on his back.

Benji grits his teeth while reaching for the hilt of his Atroce's sword. "You two hide behind that tree over there." Benji said in a tone of voice that left no place for questioning, the two now scared girls obey, looking at the field ahead of them they can see why Benji is so mad.

Volleys of grenades rain on the walls and gates of the Silver Moon castle, the defenders barely holding the advance of the enemy forces amidst the almost nonstop assault of explosives, but it was Benji drawing the massively large and heavy Atroce's sword with only his right hand with ease that truly frightens the two strays.

Without even dropping his load Benji charges to the distracted army of guilds, after all for them the enemy was inside the castle and not at their rear, with no need to be guarded, Benji was going to show them how wrong they are in not keeping a rear guard.

Running with the sword over his shoulders, almost dragging on the ground, but not touching it Benji closes in of the rear mass of mages, arches, gunslingers and priests. With a loud roar like war cry Benji brings down the massive sword in a brutal diagonal slash that easily cuts through ten enemies.

The brutally dull, but loud sound of something heavy viciously cutting the air mixed with a ferocious war cry and the despaired shrieks of terror and pain from the wounded bring the whole battlefield to a sudden halt. Both enemies and allies stare in shock as a massive red stained black blade is swung with inhuman speed, and in each swing making blood and body parts fly high in the air.

Benji once again brings down his sword on a wailing priest, the massive sword's momentum is enough to move Benji forward, or in whatever direction that he originally swung it, he didn't even had to walk to move around the battlefield spreading vicious death.

"Who is doing that?!" The attackers' guilds leaders wondered seeing the rear of the alliance army being viciously torn apart by some monstrous swordsman. "That brand!" A sniper not so far from there exclaimed, seeing with his sharp eyes what it was being ignored until then. "It is the Blue Dragon!" And the word spread quickly as everyone who heard the sniper exclaims in surprise and fear.

However for one alliance that doesn't bring fear, but joy, Atsuko could feel the news filling her body with a whole new level of energy and she wasn't the only one, it was visible in every dragon and ally there, even the distant roar of Benji's war cries seems to make them even more energetic.

Layla quickly wipes the tears from her eyes, Benji was back, she could feel it; no one else would make a whole army forget the entire purpose of the battle, as the enemy's alliance totally forgot to assault the gates. However the shock of the army ends soon and from somewhere there. "The dragon is mine!" someone shouted, and then the idea of killing Benji and being famous burns through the minds of every fighter there.

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Junko watches everything in absolute terror, Benji was swinging a sword that was physically impossible for a human to swing, and he wasn't only doing it with clear ease and mastery, but he is doing massive amounts of damage. Itsuki is stunned when seeing the sight on the not so distant field, she saw Benji carrying the sword all the way to Amatsu, but she never thought that he actually could swing it like that.

Saya is also horrified and so is Yuffie, she had saw Benji fighting before but never saw anything like that. Luna in the other hand wasn't all that impressed, more than once during the trip she caught Benji training with that sword in the middle of the night, strengthening his body with its massive weight, learning how to use such cumbersome weapon.

The five girls could only wonder where Benji learned the basis for that massive sword style, not too far from there Aysu and Mai are utterly shocked, they did know that Benji was able to kill in brutal ways, but the whole level changed with that massive sword.

On the meantime Benji was actually having fun while swinging the sword, sure the thing was requiring a lot of effort, but thanks to the stats that he gained since his arrival in Rune, he wasn't only able to carry it with ease, but swing it with as much ease, sure it goes against every single law of physics that he knew, not that he knew many, just the most common one taught in school, plus some more that he learned from other sources, still he could swing that sword that by any logic it should weight at least as much as he does.

While greatswords weren't his personal favorites, Benji admitted that the massive damage that he is causing is very pleasing, screw the fact that he isn't breaking the safeties, he was still infusing enough physics on the attack to make the safety bend, he was mauling, maiming, crippling, eviscerating, roughly destroying his targets with the slashes, still he was only causing a little over four thousand points of damage, the vicious bleeding paired with the mauling was preventing any source of healing, only the safe death would ensure that his victims would return on being one piece, that after a rather slow, painful and gruesome death.

Sure his hands, arms and back are screaming with the stress of swinging the sword, it was far stronger and harder than he every practiced on the ship. 'I wonder how Gatts do it with such an ease.' Benji thought while cutting a whole paladin in half. 'Well Sano does it too, Cloud, I think that there are other overly large sword users in anime who are impossibly thin and small for the swords that they use. But fuck this is a hell of a work out.'

Scared of Benji's sheer ferocity the army quickly backs away from him in fear, opening a large clearing around Benji, several corpses and still living adventurers lie in a bloody mass at his feet, Benji looks at them almost sneeringly as uses that break to adjust his grip on the massive sword, as well to take few deep breathes, only the cries of the dying echoes on the air.

Benji could hear the distant sound of marching steps, more enemies are coming, he isn't surprised since fame seekers would attack in mass since he is after all he is on the open. Benji nails the sword on a whitesmith and on the ground, stepping on a stalker Benji leaps and stands over the bottom of the sword, he puts two fingers on his mouth and whistles loudly, over the almost silent battlefield.

The loud and sharp whistle snaps the girls out of their shock, they knew very well that Benji was doing that to get their attention, and Layla is the first to react, she pulls a pair of crusaders and quickly climbs on their shoulders to see Benji.

Benji smiled inwardly at the silver haired knight poking over the sea of adventurers, how he had missed her and the others. Benji raises his right hand, open as if he was going to use a chop on someone, then he makes a slashing motion directed to Aysu's and Mai's hideout before clapping his hands and snapping his fingers.

Layla understood the message, and before Benji leaped down of the sword she was giving orders. "Alexis, gather the faster knights and paladins that we have!" Layla shouted while jumping down from the two paladins. "Haruka I need you to take the center, Jannine you will be there too, just in case that we need extra buffs, Katia you are coming for your breakers."

"Fine but what is going on?" Haruka asked confused, far from there the battle started anew and the sounds of it reach their ears. "Taisho ordered us to charge to the tree line and retrieve someone there." Layla answered seriously, while throwing her short cape and other items that she won't need to a corner. "So we will make a run for it, break through the confused formation, get the people from their hideouts and take them back here to safety."

Haruka sighed, she lost the bet that Benji was going to return alone to the castle, but other than that she throws her needless items next to Layla's, in a maneuver like that speed is everything, she has to loose equipment. Layla instructs the knights and paladins to get shields and one hand weapons, their purpose is to be a solid wall of steel to protect the weaker core.

Haruka aims her staff to the slightly distant army, charging her now favorite mass killing technique Alabaster demon fire, after all who doesn't love a massive attack like that, that wipes out a large number of enemies. When the spells is cast and the path cleared the group charges out of the castle for the very first time in a WoE day.

Junko stares in shock as the group led by Layla run through the charred black path created by Haruka's attack, covering as much ground as they can before the enemy realizes what is going on and closes on them. The group is halfway through the field when someone shouted to the army to cut their path.

However the group wouldn't stop that easily, with shields equipped and using their speed the group moves as a battering ram, or a sword cleaving through the army, until they lost enough momentum to actually fight the rest of the way, still moving forward. It wasn't all that hard for them to do so, Katia was breaking the cast of any spell that was targeting them, the swordswomen in the edges kept Haruka, Jannine and Katia safe while they supposed them.

Aysu and Mai don't know to where to look, at one side Benji was pretty much acting as a human windmill, swinging his large sword and cleaving through countless enemies, in the other side is Layla's group that they can see that are heading straight to their direction, while not as impressive as Benji, the group was advancing fast and was closing in, disregarding the number of enemies around them.

"Don't let them break through!" A high priest shouts to his fellow guild members and allies, and just for that Benji shoots the guy with one of his pistols. "Don't let him reposition himself!" A wizard shouts in despair, Benji was firing at them while running sideways on the battlefield, moving his position to an area free of corpses so he can cover it with more corpses.

And that high wizard that had enough spirit to shout orders get shot himself, in Benji's book if someone have enough spirit to give orders that someone deserves to get killed first. Holstering the pistol Benji resumes slashing away.

Layla and the others do break through the sea of attackers; now with much ease they reach the tree line where they find Mai and Aysu. "Come with us." Layla said to them. "We will take you two inside the castle in safety." Mai nodded a bit nervous with everything, Layla was quite dirty, sweat mixes with blood and dirt on her body and armor, and it was the same with the others.

With the two strays safely shielded inside the formation Haruka prepares a second attack to clear the path, it would make entering on the castle much easier for them, plus it scares off the enemy, and a scared enemy is always good since they are more inclined to flee.

Benji flinches lightly; it was the tenth load of buckshot that impacts on his chest, only his armor prevents any real damage, but he was quite annoyed with the grenades, not enough power to breach his chest plate, but the impact of the explosions was like getting shove.

'The firepower here is disappointing.' Benji thought while dispatching a good numbers of gunslingers to hell, or just the slow death before respawn. 'In the other hand if the loads were as good as back in my world then I would be screwed, I guess that is okay that ammo here sucks big time.'

Benji sighed inwardly when noticing that his clothes were getting quite torn, sure he was back home, but he had grow fond of that outfit, he can almost swear that it moves on his own since he worn it, bled on it, sweated on it so much for so long, plus it was fresh and comfy, what else he would want on an outfit.

His annoyed/bored expression isn't missed by the enemies around him, and that only fuels the fears of them, Benji was bored, he was killing people at the dozens and he looked bored. Layla couldn't wish for better distraction, even in battle the word spread quickly, allowing her and the group to reach the castle safely.

'Well time to demoralize the enemy again.' Benji thought while pulling his third to last magazine and throwing over a group of gunslingers, then Benji fires at it making the ammo there explodes, turning the magazine along the ammo in shrapnel that causes massive damage on the gunslingers.

The horror and shock is stamped on the face of the army, Benji calmly reloads the now empty pistol, what better way to show superiority than calmly ignoring an inferior enemy in the middle of the battle.

Benji was slightly surprised in seeing that a gypsy of all people got infuriated at his gesture and advanced at him armed with a whip. Benji holsters the pistol letting the woman get closer of him, then he grabs the sword and swings it hard in his best personification of Gatts.

The upper half of the purple haired woman flies over Benji while the lower half takes a one last step forward before falling. As expected the sight terrifies the enemy even more, but Benji doesn't stop there, he presses forward and continues to cleave his way through the army, leaving a trail of blood and body parts behind him.

"It is just me or taisho looks more inhuman than usual?" Leona asked to Miura. "Just a bit." Miura answered, she too was impressed with Benji's performance, but she was from the original formation, such a feat from Benji isn't as surprising for them as it is for the second formation.

"Please tell me that you aren't drooling over there." Saya said to Atsuko. Atsuko takes her eyes away from Benji and cleans her chin, she couldn't avoid it, she haven't seen Benji for months and he is looking more appetizing than ever now that he can swing that huge sword with no visible stress. "That is so gross." Saya sighed.

"As if you aren't excited with that." Atsuko replied flatly. "At least I am not flaunting to the world to see." Saya said in a wry tone, sure it also excited her, Benji was showing a virility, strength and power that is making every female in that castle consider bedding him, those genes would be perfect to pass on with theirs.

Atsuko chuckled casually, she knew that Benji was strong and would become stronger, but he was beyond her expectancies, as any other woman there she is impressed with the display of power, it doesn't matter how some of them denied, a powerful male is desired by every female.

But Atsuko's good mood goes away when she sees a giant towering the army, it wasn't Benji with his 1.86 meters that normally towers over the shorter Rune males, the man walking towards Benji towered over Benji with at least half meter separating the two of them.

The sheer fear of that massive man is enough to make the army clear a path between him and Benji. Benji notices and looks at the man, he had to admit he was impressed, the guy is huge, Benji had faced taller people than he was in the past, most of the times they were the thin and tall type, hardly Benji ever met someone with shoulders as broad as his, and not even once someone with such a massive build.

'Okay, now that joke that Finish people calling me and my brother 'shorty' is not even funny.' Benji thought while looking at the taller and larger man. 'I knew that there were some really big people out there but this is ridiculous! He must weight at lest one hundred and fifty kilos!'

And after his time in the desert Benji was weighting modest eight two kilos, much less than the average for his height, and much less than the needed for his build as he looks thinner than ever. The guy wasn't wearing any kind of armor or protection, he is actually barely dressed with torn remains of pants, but the massive cleaver like sword on his hands is very in place there; and the guy as enough muscles and weight to wield it.

Itsuki looks at the new arrival. "That is Vana!" Itsuki exclaimed recognizing the massive man, there weren't many adventurers over one meter and seventy nine in Rune, the few that existed quickly became famous. "You mean the Barbaric Vana? The one that supposed to be the most brutal warrior of the history of Rune-Midgard that just for amusement killed not only his enemies but his own allies in a battle four years ago?!" Luna asked in horror. "That one." Itsuki replied. "According to the rumors he was supposed to be in the most desert mountains of Yuno training."

"Well he seems to be here." Junko commented while looking at the huge man, she could tell that he was powerful, maybe enough to kill Benji. "He chases after difficult battles, doesn't him?" Junko asked that based on the fact that the guy killed not only his enemies but allies one.

"Yes." Itsuki answered. "The tales say that he seeks for strong opponents, and that now not even Baphomet is much of a challenge for him anymore." Junko remained in silence, she doesn't know anything about that Vana man, but she knows about Benji, she can tell that he grew much stronger since his desertion, but she can tell that his physical condition isn't the best on that moment, Vana might just win. 'But again, Benji has few things up his sleeve.' Junko thought looking at Benji. 'He hasn't even drawn Vassala from her sheath; in a pinch he will use it.'

Benji could feel the killing intent of the bigger man, it rolled out of him like a wave, Benji faced death enough times to be able to almost instinctively tell when the enemy was stronger than he was, and boy Vana made all the alarms in Benji's head go wild. Benji nails the sword on the ground and with a venom knife he cuts the straps of his backpack.

The heavy leather container falls noisily on the ground; then Benji pulls out his cloak, ties it in one of the straps before throwing the backpack as hard as he can in the direction of a not so sneaky rogue that was trying to slip through the gate. The unfortunate rogue let out a scream while his body makes a similar sound of a cockroach being stomped.

Atsuko looks impressed at the now visible rogue; the guy was just meters away from her, with dagger in hands. "God!" Alexis exclaimed while trying to pull the pack away from the dead rogue. "This thing is heavy!" Layla and Ami moves and help the other knight.

The shock in Ami's face is visible, the pack was indeed very heavy, in the other hand Layla isn't all that impressed, she knew that Benji was very strong, plus she also could carry that, sure she would be to cumbersome to fight, but still she could lift that much weight, it was the fact that Benji fought with all that, that impresses Layla.

Benji pulls the sword from the ground, now Vana was closer than before, he can't afford to look away anymore, or Vana will land a deadly hit on him. "That was quite impressive." Vana commented with a deep and strong voice. "You can see the invisible that is a rare trait, this will be very amusing."

Benji holds the sword in a basic kendo position, pointing towards the enemy, without the backpack he would be able to move faster, but the sword will also have more effect on his body, but better movement was better in that fight.

'Damn what should I do…' Benji thought keeping his eyes on the massive opponent, knowing that one slip, one mistake and it was over, he got quite used to countering, instead of taking the first strike against stronger opponents, Vana wasn't hot headed as most adventurers.

Benji takes a deep breath, he knows that the standstill on the battle won't last much, it was just the sheer presence and tension between him and Vana that is making everyone forget the whole goal of the WoE just to watch the fight, if someone decides to attack him right then, he would be screwed.

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"Aren't things a bit too quiet?" Dante asked to Helen, Dante was finally out of his punishment and ready to cause more trouble after few months catching up, meaning Dante is ready to rub Benji in the wrong way and get in a fight; after all he isn't aware that Benji is missing for months. "As much as I hate to agree with you, it is." Helen replied, they are just ten meters away from the top of the little hill that leads to the field in front of the Silver Moon castle, it is a WoE day, and they should be hearing the sound of battle way before reaching that mark. A loud war cry reaches their ears, followed by a brutal dull sound of something heavy cutting the air, before the sound of heavy metal hitting heavy metal.

"I know that roar!" Dante exclaimed excited, he recognized Benji's war cry, sure it was by far louder than the ones that he heard, but was still him, and if Benji was there, then he would have fun! Helen was surprised in hearing that, she runs with Dante over the hill and is shocked in seeing Benji swinging a massive sword against a much bigger opponent.

Benji swings the sword hard and his strike is parried by Vana's massive cleaver sword, Benji pulls back and strikes down again, letting out violent war cries on each swing, sparks flies on each contact of the swords, and Vana not only blocks the strikes, he is actually dodging then and striking back, just to Benji parry the strikes and feel himself the violent strength of his enemy.

Vana and Benji trade a swift and violent sequence of blows, each strike canceling the other, the sound of metal hitting metal fills the battlefield, no one dared to move or say anything, the fight was too stunning to anyone even consider doing anything other than watch.

Seeing Vana using the massive sword with ease made sense, Vana was a giant after all, but Benji was using the sword with the same ease and swiftness, however Benji wasn't so massively build as his enemy.

Dante watches the battle with awe, it was much more than he was expecting, he knew Vana, he saw him fighting more than once and even crossed blades with him once, the man was a monster, a totally different breed of swordsman, Dante came close of dying on that time, he was saved only by sheer luck and a well placed butterfly wing that allowed him to flee, back then Dante was just a knight.

Benji was doing a good job, for everyone watching Benji was actually par to Vana, but Dante knew better, he could detect that swinging that monstrous sword is taking much of his body, but any other sword would break under the attack of Vana's Nosferatu sword, it was too big and too heavy for a regular sword to endure more than one hit from it.

But Dante noticed that Benji was with a shield firmly attached to his left arm, it was a simple guard, worn in novice style, but it was black instead of metallic gray, it was odd that Benji would choose to wear a shield covering not only his entire forearm but his left hand when using a clearly two hands sword.

Vana strikes Benji with a massive blow, Benji barely manages to block it with his shield, armor and pauldron, if wasn't for all that metal Benji's shoulder would be split open. Benji slides the cleaver to the side and hits Vana in the right side with the Atroce's sword, using all his body for strength Benji shoves/slashes Vana away from him.

Benji's left shoulder throbs in pain, the blow was massive even blocking the strike a good amount of energy transferred to him, if the pauldron wasn't there his shoulder would be history. Benji dashes at Vana and swings down his sword, if he doesn't kill that monster soon he will die, just by parrying and blocking Vana's strikes feel like his bones are cracking.

Vana dashes at Benji, this time grabbing an abandoned sword with his left hand, Benji is forced to block the cleaver, the claymore hits Benji in the chest, producing a mass of sparks when hitting his breastplate, Benji is throw back with the massive strike, Benji was never hit by a cannonball but if he had to guess Vana's off hand thrust was a just like a cannonball.

Vana runs at Benji and strikes down with both swords, Benji blocks the strikes but is pushed back by the massive opponent, Vana runs and hits the side of Benji's blocking sword with his large foot, propelling himself up while pushing Benji down at the same time.

Benji can foresee what is following; in a burst of muscular strength Benji does a back flip with sword and everything, just barely avoiding the full impact of the two swords and a massive body just where he was standing. Benji cringes as his left wrist whines in pain; it was the single support as well source of impulse to land on his feet when upside down.

He barely has time to block a second wave of attacks from Vana, but Vana does scores a good hit on Benji's upper body that sends him flying backwards. The breastplate cracked badly but soaked up the entire hit, but clearly warns that it won't endure a second direct hit.

Benji fully blocks the following hit from the cleaver, forcing his body forward and angling the sword Benji slides deep inside Vana's attack range, too deep to effectively do anything, Benji draws two venom knives with his left hand and nails them deep on Vana's left side.

The massive warrior leaps backwards, getting away from Benji's range, throwing the claymore at Benji Vana uses the opportunity while Benji dodges the projectile to pulls the two daggers from his side. Benji flinches at the next slash of the cleaver, even blocking Benji felt as if Vana scored a hit.

Benji pushes the blade upwards with a burst of strength and scores a hit on Vana's large chest, Benji presses the attack slashing hard and fast at the massive and now unbalanced enemy, Benji hated to admit but Vana was harder than everything and everyone that he had ever faced before, the guy was practically naked there and Benji's hits aren't even two inches deep!

Benji slashes away with sheer fury, he finally got on the offensive and he won't give it away so easily, Benji can't even tell what is harder Vana's sword or Vana's skin, perhaps the sword, the damn thing wasn't even dented!

Vana takes advantage of a horizontal slash that took one fraction of second too much on the return to counter, Benji raises his left arm and takes the massive down stroke with his shield and pauldron, the blow is so violent that Benji is forced to take a knee. With his shoulder and whole arm numb Benji moves sideways, prevent by few inches that the cleaver hits his head, but lands heavily on his left shoulder for the third time.

Pushed back hard Benji tightens the grip on the sword and thrusts it forward, hitting the charging Vana straight in the gut with the tip of the sword, forcing his muscles even more Benji forces the sword upwards and frontwards slashing hard, knocking the massive body backwards and up.

Benji changes the strike by now pulling the sword in a vicious down stroke, Vana barely dodges the sudden strike, he puts his large right foot over the blade holding it on the ground; he raises his sword with his right arm ready to bring it down on Benji's back.

Benji forces his body forward and tackles Vana with his armored right shoulder while lifting his sword to unbalance the other warrior even more, just barely avoiding the massive swipe of Vana's sword for being too low as the sword cuts the air just few centimeters above him.

Using the opening left by the missed strike to Benji scores a hit on Vana's right shoulder with a swift strike, following the motion Benji jumps forward, with the sword low, scoring another hit on Vana's left side, and this time throwing even more strength in the rising slash Benji pushes Vana several meters backwards.

Benji dashes closing the distance to the still unbalanced warrior and brings down his sword hard against him, but Vana recovers before the strike lands and blocks it, once again they trade violent blows, making the metal scream with each contact.

Benji puts more strength on the slash and hits hard Vana's sword, the massive blade cracks as the Atroce's blade forces its way on it. Vana forces his sword to the side locking Benji's sword with his now damaged blade, preventing Benji from pulling it back.

Pulling hard Benji sees that the blade is truly locket with the other sword, Benji stomps on Vana's right knee with his left foot, rising himself enough centimeters to hit Vana hard on the face with the rim of the shield. Benji grins and pulls on a small 'T' shaped handle.

A thunderous noise by far louder than any previous grenade cuts the air as a fireball is expelled from Benji's shield hitting Vana square in the face, Benji is pushed back by the massive recoil, it even unlocked his sword from Vana's. The massive warrior stutters backwards, with a thick cloud of smoke covering his head.

Benji cringes as his left arm is throbbing in pain, Benji nails the sword on the ground and pulls a thick cylinder from a belt bag, Benji winces while turning his left arm, with the inner part of the forearm facing up, Benji pulls a foldable bolt from a thick tube concealed under the shield, parallel to his forearm.

A thick rope of smoke leaves the now open chamber, Benji calmly places the second shot inside the still fuming chamber and locks it once again, then he pulls back on a striker, readying the weapon for a second shot. "A hidden cannon." A deep grave voice said. "Impressive. It has been years since someone wounded me this badly."

Benji now was shocked, he just fired a half kilo steel ball in point blank range on Vana's face, he used seven hundred grams of black corned gunpowder to propel the damn thing, he blew a hole in a castle wall with that load Vana couldn't just take that and be still standing!

Even Junko was stunned with horror; Benji had used his homemade grenade launcher in point blank range in the head! Not even the Lord of Death could take that and remain alive, much less after the pounding that Benji just gave to that guy.

"How many years it has been since the last time that I went berserk?" Vana mused with his face covered in blood, the steel ball resting precisely over his left eye socket. "Boy! For the first time in years my blood is truly boiling in excitement!"

Benji pulls his sword from the ground while Vana burst in red light, roaring as a beast and growing even larger than before. 'I am so fucked…' Benji thought laughing wryly while looking at the monster in front of him, gripping on the hilt even harder. 'It is not even funny…'

End of the chapter twenty eight:

Author explanation corner: (with a small rant)

Finally!! This particular WoE was and still is bothering me for months! The whole thing has being going over and over and over again on my mind for a long time! Now I am finally on it, it feels so good…

Well enough with the rant, now to the explanations.

.

.

.

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…..

Not much to explain here, well I guess that happens every now and then, first I guess that I should explain on the slow death effect.

Benji's massive mauling killing effect: Benji isn't focusing on delivering the final death to anyone in the WoE, but he is still applying a spoonful of real world physics on his killing, that means massive sword plus speed, plus weight, plus muscle strength, plus gravity, plus any other factors that I am forgetting right now, equals massive mauling death effect (see Berserk manga for examples).

In game terms means total incapacitation of the target (victim) between the mauling and the death the victim can enter in shock because the gaping wound caused by the massive sword will bleed out, losing X percent of life points, it can't be healed or treated, the effect lasts until the target dies, when respawning the target will be incapacitated for one hour, but other than that it will be safe and sound.

Atroce's sword: In the game the sword only 200 (200 what? Fucked up weight system…) anyway disregard all the weight system of the game, it is not realistic enough to be used in a story. After cracking my head for hours trying to come up with the approximated mass of the sword I gave up, searching for good replacements, and using the image from the game (come on that is Gatts Dragon Slayer!) I looked for a suitable replacement for checking the weight.

And after more hours cracking my head (with a migraine I must add, not a nice experience) I found that based in some calculations the Dragon Slayer weights around 50 kilos (that is a lot), so based on that I placed the weight of the Atroce's sword in sixty kilos, anyone else can do the math, I am sick of advanced math for the next years, but the impact force of a sixty kilos swords moving at, at the very least, sixty kilometers by hour (maybe more) is something ridiculously big.

So the real effect on a person is not pretty at all, and that not pretty at all effect is what allows Benji to cleave through armored adventurers. And for anyone curious the Atroce's sword still holds all the original effects.

Vana: In my mind I had set that Benji would face someone much bigger than he is in that WoE, but I never thought in the name, after thinking for a while I came with that one. Since Ragnarok online is based in anime and is made in Korea, I assumed that the height of the people living there is closer to the Asian average, so tall people are uncommon, but I red somewhere that recently every newer generation is taller than the previous, and I see that it is true with the people around me (family, neighbors and others). Vana is one of the rare tall ones that pop occasionally.

I wanted to Vana be different from the average adventurer, so I made him closer of the barbarian class, a huge and feral swordsman that is closer to the inner beast, contrasting with the neat knights and crusaders, so Vana became a underdressed, overly muscular, large, tall, strong, brutal and savage bestial swordsman.

A particular characteristic is that I decided to make Vana's berserk being more drastic since he is a barbarian, saving a large explanation he turns in a mixture of Atroce, Baphomet and Eddga, become a viciously strong, huge and even more savage version of himself.

Benji's homemade grenade launcher, shield gun and the large gun used against Atroce: They are the same thing, made in the three months gap between Mana's and Shina's departure and the formation of the guild. I admit I was a military junkie and loved to learn about guns and stuff, I still know how to make gunpowder from the heart, when fourteen years old I actually understood how a pistol works and wanted to make one.

Anyway Benji made the whole thing with easy to find materials, and made the launcher a simple bolt action one shot one, easy to reload and simple to use. With a rather complex wrench, bolts and pins arrangement the handheld gun can be placed and used on a simple guard (you know the cheapest and easiest to find shield of the game).

The 'T' handle is there to activate the trigger mechanism, it is on the reach of Benji's fingers, hidden under the shield and protected from any kind of thing that could cause an accidental firing.

However using the gun like that is very stressing to the body, the shield is strapped on Benji's arm and gauntlet, so the recoil is not only felt on his entire left arm but is worse between his fingers and on the straps of the shield. If the cannon load was wrong for the weight/size of the cannon ball I apologize, but I don't own a cannon so I can't be sure of it.

Well I guess that this is it for today, if I left something out let me know and I will add in the next chapter, see you all next time.


	30. Reinforcements

Hi this is Benji Himura I am starting a new fanfic

Hi this is Benji Himura I am starting a new fanfic. I don't own Ragnarok online I also don't own the characters of that story or the plot; taking out the changes that I will make and the characters that I will create. I own Benji Himura and others characters that will show up in the story. It might be violence and sex in the story so if you are underage of seventeen are warned the content might be too improper to your age. Read by your own will and risk. In anyway enjoy the story.

Signed: Benji Himura

"Text" Talked sentences.

'Text' Thoughts.

-Text- Sounds effects.

(Text) Talked sentences in a foreign language

: Text: Messages show in an electronic screen or written.

**Text**: something being recalled, flashbacks, scenes being replayed.

_Text_: a detail found in a location, scene, person, recording and images that originally wasn't there.

Chapter twenty nine: Reinforcements

'Okay Benji, you are screwed, but it is okay, you have been in worse situations than this, you killed MVPs when beaten almost to death.' Benji said to himself, clearly trying to convince himself that he can beat the ogre of a man that is roaring at his face. '…damn his breath really stinks…'

Benji stands his ground and keeps his face a stoic and unworried mask of calmness, thought Benji isn't calm at all, image is everything, Vana is roaring at Benji's face, trying to intimidate Benji. 'Okay here is the plan, run like hell, dodge like crazy and if everything else fails run the castle and shut the gates.' Benji thought with an internal nod, it was good enough.

Benji leaps to his right just in time to avoid an arm swipe from Vana, Benji runs from the monster, drawing his pistol Benji fires at Vana's head, such large target is hard to miss. Vana just roars and turns, stomping the ground before charging at Benji.

Benji dodges once again, Vana hits a mass of adventurers that were watching the fight with awe, sending broken bodies and screaming adventurers to the air. Benji grinned at that, his plan worked well, if he can't kill everyone there, then he will use a not so willing or aware pawn.

Benji fires once again, this time on the back of Vana's knees and thighs, Benji knows well that he won't be able to do much with Vana on that state, but he can gradually mine his strength and speed while keeping a safe distance from the monstrous man.

Vana roars and while turning around he sends even more frightened adventurers to the air, now realizing the danger of that battlefield the adventurers try to run away from there, actually failing as in despair they only get in the other way.

Benji barely dodged a second charge from Vana and he discovered that the damaged sword wasn't damaged anymore, it was even stained with blood, but Benji knew that Vana didn't score a hit that wounded him, so the blood wasn't his, but knowing that the sword isn't damaged anymore rattles Benji's spirit, his hopes of breaking it were crushed.

At distance Dante could tell that Benji's fighting spirit lowered a couple notches when seeing the bloody and undamaged Nosferatu, Dante felt sorry for Benji, unlike the brunette Dante knew why the sword repaired itself, if the sword sheds blood it will restore itself to the original state, repairing any damage on it, as well removing any bonus that the were added on it, making useless upgrading the sword, however it was so powerful by itself that was needless.

"You are really sure that I can't go there and help?" Dante asked to Helen, if was up to him he would have jumped in the fight much before Vana scored the first hit on Benji. "Benji would shove that sword of his on your ass if you did so." Helen replied. "And I know you well enough that you would turn on Benji at the first opportunity."

"Hey I am not that bad." Dante replied. "I would wait after Vana fell before dueling with the dragon again." "You aren't going to fight with him today if you tried you can bet your blonde ass that his entire guild would jump on you armed and ready to kill you." Helen said seriously, actually knowing that Atsuko would lead the raid on Dante herself. Dante sighed, he really hated how Helen kept him on a short leash, but he couldn't really do anything, wanting or not Helen was stronger than he was.

As impossible it seemed to anyone watching, Benji heard a familiar cry, he turns to the gate and sees that the despairing troops are trying to get inside the castle, while the girls are successfully preventing the invasion, the sheer pressure of the entire army charging at once was proving too much for them to handle for much longer.

Benji takes a deep breathe and rushes to the army, not bothering to cut his way through, he jumps before reaching the edge of the group and uses the heads and shoulders of the adventurers below as stepping stones, and from that position he sees the blood on Atsuko's lips.

With a war cry more ferocious than any before Benji throws the Atroce's sword as hard he can on the crowd in at the gates. The sword, now a source of flying death cuts several adventurers before hitting the ground hard and splitting a lord knight in two, stopping in front of Atsuko.

"FUCK OFF NOW!" Benji roared at the invading forces, his voice louder than even Vana's roars, and by far more intimidating. Paralyzing everyone other than Vana in fear. "You mastered the terror tree." Itsuki commented from her watching spot. "Haven't you?"

"I SAID NOW!" Benji roared a second time, and this time the entire army runs away in fear, including the ones that Benji were stepping on. Benji lands lightly on the ground as the army runs away from him and the castle gate "I summon thee…" Benji whispered, charging his energy for what he is about to do. "Come my slaves! ARISE!"

The ground in front of the gate bursts violently as a massive blue edge tears the soil followed by an armor clad winged woman, next to her a very pale long haired woman wearing a finely worked black cape, black dress and fancy white vest, a Zealotus, a Dryad, a black haired succubus, and a blonde haired swordswoman with an eerie aura around herself. "Slaves?" Junko whispered impressed, she can't understand how Benji got slaves, much less how he summoned them, but the six slaves are easily killing every enemy in reach.

Benji let out a long breath, summoning them drained lots of his energy, and that little extra time that he took to recover is enough to Vana catch up with him, Benji is tackled hard by the berserking warrior, but instead of fly away, Vana grabbed Benji's arm hard and is squeezing it even harder.

Feeling his gauntlet whining under pressure Benji shoves his shield on Vana's face a second time and this time fires the second shot straight on Vana's open mouth, the recoil plus the instinctive throw from Vana sends Benji away, but he manages to land on his feet.

On the gauntlet the damaged plates show how close Benji was of having his entire forearm and hand crushed, Vana roars in rage and pain, the shot was even more damaging than the first since it hitted inside the tender parts inside the mouth, and the fireball badly burned the tissue up and down his throat.

"Did Benji just summon those monsters?" Haruka asked to Layla in total disbelief. "He did." Layla answered, she was as shocked as the others, but those monsters are acting as an effective shield against the fleeing army, being rested and eager to fight they give to the guild a welcomed breathing time without any aid.

Benji winces when reaching for the Vassala, while his arm weren't crushed, Vana managed to hurt him. Shoving his pain aside with practiced ease after his long months in Rune Benji swings the sword had, his target wasn't a soft target in a body, his target was another sword, the Nosferatu.

A massive sound fills the air as the swords clash, they aren't sure if is bad either, it wasn't as crude and offending as when the massive Atroce's sword hit the Nosferatu sword, Benji knew the sound, actually he could tell which sword did which sound of the one that echoed, the Nosferatu did the harsh sound of a steel slab being hit with a hammer, while Vassala almost chimed at the impact, as she slashed it way halfway through the other sword.

Vana was truly altered now, but still conscious enough to see and understand what happened, he never expected that such a tiny sword could damage his, the Atroce's sword that Benji firstly wielded he could see doing that kind of damage, but the Vassala dug much deeper in the Nosferatu then the Atroce's sword.

Forcing his already strained muscles Benji slashes forward while the blades are still locked, and to the shock of everyone watching, the upper half of the Nosferatu sword flies off as Benji's slash advanced and cleaved on Vana's shoulder, pressing on the advantage Benji continues to attack in a succession of quick but strong slashes.

Dante was shocked, the Nosferatu was considered an unbreakable sword, but Benji just broke it, and Dante noticed that Benji's fencing had improved greatly, Vana is being pressed hard, struggling to defend himself with the remainder of his sword, which got shorter at each of Benji's slashes, that send each a small piece of it flying on the air.

Benji smiled, not because he looked like winning, he was pleased with the Vassala, and with himself, he trained hard to polish his skills, and that is paying up as the gigantic man is stumbling backwards pressed by his attacks. Benji didn't trained with the Atroce's sword to wield it, he trained with it to increase the power of his muscles, to strengthen his body to use regular swords better, as he forced his body to move at the same speed that he had using a regular sword when using the massive sword, all that paired with Vassala's cutting power made them a very deadly combination.

Layla stared in shock, she and every ally, as well enemy, oddly enough Benji's slaves didn't seemed impressed at all, Atsuko noticed they actually were unimpressed by it, as if was common knowledge for them, but Atsuko also noticed the sour face on the swordswoman styled slave, she struck oddly familiar to Atsuko, but the blonde couldn't put her finger in where she saw her before.

Then resolution came, to much of a shock to everyone watching Vana's right hand, still gripping the remainder sword firmly becomes air born, severed from the body on the middle of the forearm, but Benji was far from done, as Itsuki said Benji mastered the terror tree, and Benji knew how well the terror could be used on his favor.

Luna faces away knowing what will come next, and she was right, as with a vicious down stroke Benji cleaves Vana's left leg at the middle of the thigh, and with a loud sound the massive body falls, at his side Vana had the fact that he was ready for what came next, he never held any illusions of dying a quiet death, hell he hated the thought of dying peacefully, and the death as it came for him was everything that he wished for, a vicious battlefield death, and he knew just then that Benji could make it magnificent.

With horrifying ease Benji cuts Vana's right leg with a one hand swipe of the sword, sending the massive limb flying away spraying blood, a second limb soon follows as Benji cleaves Vana's left arm by the shoulder. Now Benji was faced with a split second choice, he could kill Vana in cold blood, in Gatts's style, torturing him with knives as he doesn't have arrows and he ran out of bullets a while ago, or he could go out in a massive, violent and gruesome overkill. As sensing the choices Vana silently told Benji his preference, Benji then allowed the warrior to die as he wanted to.

With a vicious howl of sheer bloodlust Benji raises the sword holding it with both hands. Wide eyed Saya turns her face away, closing her eyes tightly and covering her ears as she crouches, chanting something, trying to isolate herself from what is about to come.

Helen stared in horror while Benji proceeded to viciously cleave Vana's body with his sword, while purposely avoiding vital stops, prolonging the agony of the fallen warrior, Dante only stared in awe, he had never seen such a beautiful thing, yes he knew that it shouldn't be, but Dante was a warrior, he fell in love with battle, and seeing such a thing for him was just another facet of battle, one that he haven't seen before, but he knew that he would try to replicate in a later time against an MVP.

No one knew how long it lasted, only Benji knew how long it took for him to utterly kill Vana, while killing the warrior Benji didn't broke safety, but Benji knew that Vana had throw such thing away a long time ago, Vana was dead, dead for good, but he died a good death, Benji saw that, Vana enjoyed his death, as disturbing as that sounds Benji felt that the warrior was thankful for what Benji was doing, he would only learn why later, but now it was time for something else.

Mustering every ounce of evil on his being as he draws a long breath Benji laughs, letting out his best evil laughter, not a silly 'want to be evil' laughter, or a silly evil guy laughter from movies and stuff, Benji had a truly evil laughter as others told him in the few times he let out such a laughter with others around.

The whole field full of watchers feel a cold shiver running on their spines as Benji's laughter filled with dark pleasure, evil amusement and superiority echoes on the valley with untold promises of suffering, but what makes their blood froze on their veins if what comes next.

Looking at his sword dripping blood Benji smiles evilly, turning his face to the right just lightly, as his eyes looking at the frightened adventurers there as he says "I need to kill more……" with his voice in a low tone, dripping with lust and hunger. No one could tell who let out the first scream, but in less than an instant everyone screamed in sheer fright, running to the hills or just teleporting away with any means available, even trampling other adventurers.

In less than ten seconds the field is desert, not a soul there other than those who belong there. Benji throws the Vassala on the ground nailing it neatly on it. "God that was rough on the throat." Benji commented while stretching and popping his weary bones back in place.

Dante felt his hard on fading at that, it was the most unattractive thing that he had ever seen on his life, at one moment Benji was standing there as death incarnated irradiating more evil and death than anything that he had ever seen before, and then it was all gone, Benji was casually relaxing on the empty field.

Helen recovers from her sudden meeting with the ground, brushing grass and dirt from her face. She can't believe that all that evil, all that violence was nothing more than a hoax, an elaborate farce.

Atsuko was as shocked as Helen, she knew that Benji used fear to scare off enemies, but she had never seen anything like that, but she noticed that other than the blonde swordswoman slave, every slave that Benji summoned seemed flushed and excited when looking at Benji being so evil, Atsuko didn't missed their expressions of hunger while looking at Benji.

Everyone is rather shocked as a black and golden blur breaks through the tight formation of the guild, snapping them out of their stupor Atsuko as well Layla and the others saw Maria running at Benji's direction, far faster than any of them, for a moment they could only wonder how such short legs could carry the girl so fast towards Benji.

Benji is a bit surprised with the sudden tackle, but he receives the girl with arms open, Maria happily hugs Benji, crying happily now that he was back, she wasn't scared of him, why would she, Benji is her knight he had done far worse to protect her.

"You are heavier that you used to." Benji said to the child. "Did you grow since I last saw you?" "Yes!" Maria exclaimed happily, she had grown full five centimeters since he was left and as well gained a couple of kilos as she putted in more muscle, yet Benji is able to easily hold her with his left hand only.

Happily perched on Benji's left forearm Maria holds on his neck, Benji pulls Vassala from the ground, holding it on a reverse grip and walking towards the gates, he can tell that the girls are confused, clearly happy that he is there, but unsure of approaching him after what they saw.

"You gals actually bought that act?" Benji asked casually. "Act?!" Leona asked in disbelief. "You slaughtered Vana as if he was nothing! Then you laughed as if you were the devil himself!" "And doing that I scared off every single adventurer from the field." Benji replied casually, gesturing with his right hand to the empty field, not even the dead and the wounded were there; other that Vana, Benji would need to deal with that.

"You mean that was all an act?" Karen asked surprised, she couldn't just accept that so easily, and she is shoved away by someone who does. Layla hugs Benji tightly, she doesn't care what Benji just did, and as far as she cares he can kill everyone else in the world that she wouldn't care.

Maria whimpered crushed between Benji and Layla, Benji hugs Layla back with his right arm, he can't express how much he missed her, her sweet scent, he knew that he was back home after so long. Layla cries happily in the arms of her lover, she missed him so badly, she wasn't the only one, but Benji already had his arms full. Atsuko settles in waiting a bit for Layla to let go, scolding herself lightly in being so impressed and stunned with the incident, but Layla had an edge that Atsuko didn't, Layla saw the massacre of the Wasted Years, for her Benji slaughtering people was natural.

Twenty minutes later Benji had time to deal with other things, thankfully it was lunch break so everyone could take a breather and pick up before the next battle that they knew that would follow, but what shocks everyone is that Benji is dealing with his slaves, most precisely how he deals with the swordswoman.

Actually how Benji seems to be trying to be digging his fingers on her skull as he squeezes her head with his right hand, holding her half meter above the ground while the girl flails in pain, in a vain tentative of escaping of Benji's iron grip. Her cries of pain make the girls look at them, but after Benji's earlier display they won't do anything.

"Chris, you and the others did well." Benji said turning to his other slaves. "You girls can go back and have something cold." "Yes master." The woman clad in fine clothes replied. "And Yami here is a minus." Benji added. "We understand." They all say as one, knowing exactly what it meant, then as suddenly as they appeared they disappear.

"Benji not wanting to intrude in your cruel torture." Atsuko said in a casual tone. "But isn't that a bit too much?" Atsuko points to the Yami's hair where dark red stains start to grow. "No." Benji answered casually. "She is a nasty child that needs punishment." "If you say so." Atsuko replied, she wasn't going to say anything else, hell she doesn't even know what is going on.

As something crunches under his pressure Benji throws the now ragdoll of a swordswoman on an unused corner of the yard without much care. "Mind in telling what that is?" Haruka asked pointing to the discarded woman. "Not right now." Benji answered. "Look I know that I just got back and we have tons of things to say, but we have one hour before a new wave of fame starving adventurers arrive, and I am really, really looking forward for a bath and a change of clothes, we can talk with more time later."

Layla, Atsuko and Haruka remain in silence after those words, not because of what he said, but because of what they have done, while Benji grabs his backpack and instructs a random guild girl to lead Aysu and Mai to a room, they follow Benji as he moves to his bedroom.

Opening his closet and finding it empty Benji turns back to his three lovers. "Where are my clothes?" Benji asked seriously. "Well…" Atsuko started nervously and embarrassedly. "We kind of borrowed them." "I mean we really missed you and took few things of your closet to wear and remind of you." Layla continued.

"Even my underwear!" Benji exclaimed checking his now empty underwear drawer. Layla blushed fiercely at that, she was the one who first raided there. "For crying out loud." Benji sighed. "Well I guess that I have no choice. Anyway girls I will shower now, go eat something, rest a little and get ready for the afternoon."

Feeling like lost puppies the trio obeys, they are feeling a bit bad for raiding his closet, but they all understood if Benji had arrived in any other day, even just one day earlier the reception would be different, so would be his reaction. Atsuko leaves to treat her wounds; Haruka to go to the restroom, but Layla strays behind and turns back to Benji's room.

She finds him half dressed, actually throwing his damaged armor over his cloak in a corner for later washing. "You hate us?" Layla asked in a meek tone, not only for her doubts and inner demons, but for disobeying his command of leaving. "Your feelings changed since we were last together?"

Benji smiled at Layla, she was so cute when skittish like that, and after throwing his breastplate over the pile Benji walks towards the silver haired knight, and pulls her to an embrace, with his right arm around her waist, pulling her body against his he says with his face close of hers. "My feelings haven't changed Layla."

The knight blushed madly at the way that she is being held and his words, a shiver runs down her spine at the contact. "I missed you and the others a lot." Benji continued. "But we both know that right now we can't just stop to catch up, even if we want it so badly." And before the knight came with a reply Benji silences her with a kiss, knowing that better than words actions will sooth Layla.

Layla just surrenders herself to the kiss, she had longed for that so much, and she had missed it so badly that it even haunted her dreams. After long moments Benji pulls away. "Just wait for a little longer." He whispered against his lips, Layla purrs when feeling his right hand holding her buttocks, lightly squeezing it. "Okay?"

"Okay..." Layla purred in delight, now utterly putty on his hands, she would do anything that he told her to do. "Good." Benji said with a smile, rewarding the knight with a light kiss. "Now go eat something, rest for a while and get ready for the next battle." Layla nodded and walks away as soon Benji let go of her.

'Now I need a cold shower' Benji thought while seeing the sexy sway of Layla's hips as she walks away with a little extra sprint on her steps. 'Too bad that I can't just relax and take her now, just god knows how much I just want to throw her in bed and take her now…… but I need the energy for the fight.'

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"So what happened to you to be glowing like that?" Erika asked teasingly to her friend. "I just got a nice kiss that is all." Layla answered with a smile, she is too happy to be bothered with such petty teasing. Erika chuckled at the knight's answer, she knew that Layla was pretty shaken with everything and that her biggest fear is that Benji loses interest on her; a little reassurance makes wonders to the knight.

Atsuko is a bit jealous of not thinking on that herself, but unlike Layla, she is pretty secure of herself and Benji's feelings, knowing that he wouldn't just lose interest; Atsuko knows the issues among her fellow lovers.

Haruka is plain jealous of Layla, but she knows better than disobeying Benji, she is practically the omega of the set of lovers, the lower ranking one even bellow Erika who is just there for Layla! But Haruka knows that she got there herself, and that it will take more time for Benji 'promote' her, that would mean that she would have to stop being bad to get the punishments that she enjoys so much.

Maria is just happy that Benji is back, even being with him just few minutes is enough, he is back and soon they will all catch up the lost time, she has so much that she wants to tell him about things that happened when he was away. Everyone else in the guild and the allies are glad that Benji is back, and much happier with the break, they were taking a massive pounding thanks to the gunslingers being organized as they were.

A little over half an hour later Karen is running to Benji's room followed close by Layla, Atsuko and Haruka. "Taisho!" Karen exclaimed while pounding on the door with her fists. "Taisho!"

"What?" Benji asked a bit annoyed after he opens the door, Karen is a bit taken back, not by Benji's words or annoyance, but his clothes, she had never seen that outfit before.

Benji is wearing black clothes, that isn't unusual, but his boots are armored black greaves, over his pants there are several black metal plates, he is with a figure hugging long sleeved black shirt and a light black and red armor tightly clad on his upper body, hanging from his left arm is a black short jacket, his now long hair still damp tied in a simple ponytail.

"What is that?!" Atsuko asked voicing what is going all their heads, no one ever saw Benji clad on that before, Atsuko and Layla raided his closet and they didn't saw that. "Inner armor." Benji replied. "But why are you pounding at my door? I am still getting ready here."

"AH!" Karen exclaimed recalling why she is there. "A caravan! There is this caravan coming this way! They are carrying this odd flag!" Benji smiled at that, of all the surprises of that day that was the best. Benji bolts out of the room; the girls sigh and run after him, impressed with the speed that he is making after everything.

After jumping out of a window and running some more Benji is by the gate, he was right it was them, the ground was vibrating weakly at the march, that would so help them, plus she was there, his girls deserved a treat after all that happened and who better than her to make that.

The girls stare confused at the commotion, is too early to be the post-lunch raid, and Benji is smiling, that wouldn't happen if it was an attack. "I thought that you were missing." A man on his late forties says to Benji in a very casual tone. "I was until a while ago." Benji replied casually. "But as you can see I found my way back."

"That is great boy." The man said with a grin. "It has been a while." "So it has." Benji replied with a smile. They hold at the other right forearm while placing the left hand in the other shoulder in a greeting. "It is good to see you alive and well boy." The man said in an honest tone. "For a while I thought that you were really gone."

"I am not an easy kill Sage." Benji replied, thankful for the worry. "Now my friend why you brought everyone here?" "For war!" Sage exclaimed. "And why else we would move armed like this?! I heard that your kittens over there would need help with today's raid, even Vana was coming down here."

"You mean that guy over there?" Benji asked pointing to the corpse still where he left it. Sage looks at Vana and then at Benji, then at Vana again. "You arrived before he did?" Sage asked. "Yeah, he charged straight at me when he arrived." Benji answered. With a pleased nod Sage turns to Benji. "That saved your kittens from being badly hurt, that guy was out seeking for a good death for a while now, he was a tiger in his last days, it wasn't pretty to see the battlefield where he passed by." Sage said in a serious tone. "It is a shame, the world lost a strong warrior but the gods gained a new one."

"Enough with the serious talk man!" A very tall and strong woman shoves Sage aside and grabs Benji in a massive hug; burring him on her ample bosom. "Don't you ever do something like this again!" she exclaimed while crushing Benji against her large body. The guild girls stare in surprise, they never saw a woman that big and large before, she is almost a bear of so large! And she actually pulled Benji out of the ground!

"AIR!" Benji exclaimed, he was happy that she were worried but she was crushing the little life that he still have out of him. "Sorry." She said with a smile. "But I mean that; don't go missing like that again!" "I am sorry." Benji replied after few deep breathes. "Mama can I ask you a big favor?" Benji asked with a smile, he knew that she wouldn't refuse him, she might be as big and strong as an MVP but she has a butter heart, and was just a big teddy bear.

"Sure." She answered with a smile. "Anything that you need and Mama can do she will do." "You see my girls over there worked really hard and really well for a really long time and I want to give them a nice treat." Benji said while pointing to his guild and allies. "Mind in preparing us a nice feast for after the battle?"

She laughs heartily at his request. "I will do it gladly! I love cooking." She answered, and then she eyes Benji a little closer. "And you need more meat on your bones; you are so skinny, even more than before." "Well I did lost weight." Benji commented. "Your girls also need more meat, look at them!" She exclaimed while pointing at Layla. "They hardly had any meat for you to hold on!"

Layla doesn't know if she takes that as an insult or a compliment. "Mama they are perfect just like they are right now." Benji said in a serious but lightly playful tone. "I am happy with their just right amount of flesh." And it wasn't a lie, every girl of the guild has either a perfect or nearly perfect figure, some are still maturing but will blossom into beautiful women. Now that Layla takes as a compliment, so does the others.

"We will show you the kitchen and you can cook to your heart's content." Benji continued. "Trust me everyone will be hungry and there will be a lot of people to eat." "Great." The woman that Benji called Mama exclaimed happily, the leads a wagon to a corner and grabs the guild's Kafra girl to use as map of the castle.

"You know I love that woman but I just don't understand why she doesn't accept that most women don't want to get more meat on their bodies." Sage commented to Benji now that Mama was away. "Most don't even need more!" Benji nodded agreeing, but it was just Mama is, she wants to see people happy and healthy, and for her that mean with a certain amount of fat and filled stomachs.

"AAAHHHHH!!" Karen exclaimed while pointing to a certain wolf rider, she recognized the girl, how couldn't she, she was the one who spoke with her every Friday! Benji notices that. "It is okay." Benji said to the sniper. "That was her disguise." "Why?" Karen asked confused, she truly felt bad and sorry for the blind girl. "Since I couldn't come and go freely I needed a way to keep in touch with Sage and everyone else, who would suspect of a blind girl being a messenger?" Benji explained. "Though she is one of the best archers that I ever saw."

"Is she blind?" Karen asked shocked, she really would hate to know that she was fooled even more. "Yes." Benji answered. "She is blind, but you will see later." Benji turns to the girl. "You and Kiba will find a sniping spot and do your job, okay Sora?" he told to the girl that nods silently.

"Enough with the peasants." A female voice filled with arrogance says. "Suzuka-hime-sama is here." "It is just me or she is too dressed to be a gypsy or dancer?" Leona asked to Katia. "Well it is skimpy enough to be one." It is true as Suzuka is wearing chaps with only a pair of panties bellow a small top and a short wide wrist jacket, all in black red and golden colors, finishing she is wearing a unicorn horn on her forehead, with the base covered by the long black hair.

"She had to come?" Benji asked to Sage, it wasn't that he didn't liked her, he just didn't liked her. "I came all the way here to help you could as well show some gratitude!" She said while hitting on Benji's chest with a closed folding fan. "You used to be so well mannered."

Layla didn't like of that underdressed slut being so defiant with Benji, but she knows better than stepping in just then. "You know as well as I do that she isn't someone that can be left behind." Sage said to Benji, ambiguously enough to Suzuka not to say anything. "And she wasn't the only one."

Benji follows Sage's line of sight and smiles seeing who is there. "If you came all the way here you could at least greet me." Benji said in a teasingly tone, to a woman hidden behind one of the wagons. Everyone thought that the girl greatly contrasted to everyone else in the small caravan, first she is wearing a kimono, tabi socks, sandals and a haori, her hair is black and short, and she looks more regal in her modesty and demureness than Suzuka who claimed to be a princess.

Walking in small steps the girl walks towards Benji. "Don't be so shy now." Benji said with a smile, he just couldn't help; Saki was just so cute like that. "It healed up?" She nodded demurely answering him. "That is good." Benji commented, he was quite worried about that.

Saki stands her hands to him, offering a carved white pendant to him. "Is this what I think that is?" Benji asked to the girl while pointing to the white pendant shaped as a Japanese dragon wrapped around a European styled sword, that white color is very familiar to him.

She nods confirming. "I wanted to add lacquer, but there aren't any in the colors that I wanted to portrait." She said in a low voice. "It is beautiful as it is." Benji replied taking the necklace. "Thank you." He added rubbing her head and giving her a kiss on her forehead.

"Okay enough with this." Haruka said annoyed. "We have been quiet for too long. Benji-taisho what is going on here? Who are those people?" While Haruka was voicing question in everyone's minds, they were wary of asking him that. Benji smiled at that, giving a final rub on Saki's head before turning to Haruka. "These are my friends." Benji answered.

"And pet." Sage added pointing to Saki. "Okay, I can understand the friends part." Haruka says and points to Saki. "But she is a normal human girl, unless you have been really naughty, she shouldn't be a pet." "Actually I am an oni." Saki pointed out from behind Benji. "And technically I also apply to the cute pet system."

Haruka stares at the girl. "Listen don't try defending Benji-taisho." Haruka said in a serious tone. "We all know that he can be very naughty…" "I never said that I wasn't." Benji chimed, hell that was fun, it would be nice see it developing. "Shush you!" Haruka turned to Benji before turning back to Saki. "And that he is quite capable of making a girl his pet. He does have four lovers."

"Six." Benji corrected her. "I had a total of six, while I am not with Mana and Shina recently." "Hush you." Haruka replied. "Actually I am an oni." Saki said a bit more forcefully, while Benji was taking everything as a joke she was getting infuriated at how Haruka is mouthing her master.

"Onis are big, ugly, have skin in odd and ugly colors, and have horns." Haruka said seriously. "And you don't have any of those." "I asked to Benji-sama dehorn me sometime after I submitted myself to his care." Saki replied seriously, lifting her front bangs and exposing a circular scar on her forehead, a bit bellow her hairline. "And I am a hairsbreadth away of pounding you to a mass of distorted flesh if you keep saying that Benji-sama is a liar and perverted man."

"Okay now that is a pet reaction." Atsuko said while dragging Haruka way. "A loyal one, say Benji where the hell you get those unique pets anyway?" "In so many places." Benji commented casually, it wasn't a lie, he just doesn't feel like telling how he found Saki at the moment.

"Anyway here is the plan." Benji said clapping his hands together. "You girls stay in the regular stations. Sage as well the attackers that he brought will be outside the gate that will give you girls almost nothing to do, so you can sit back and take a break." "Taisho." Layla says to Benji. "While I am not doubting you, isn't just ten fighters not counting that underdressed woman over there a little too few for that kind of thing?" "Trust me Layla." Benji said with a smile. "It is enough." Benji turns to Sage. "She is here right?"

"And I thought that you would never ask." Sage replied with a grin, from the wagon where Saki was hiding a woman in a long black walks out from it. "She was quite sure that she would be needed today. As far I know the only day that she won't be needed is when everyone else is dead."

"Don't say that." The woman in black said to Sage. "I know that one day people like me won't be needed because it won't be pain and suffering on this world." Then she turns to Benji. "And you seem to be suffering a lot." "A bit." Benji answered. "It has been a while Elle."

"Indeed, but as usual you are in a bad shape." Elle replied. "I will exam you later, as much as I despise battle I know that this won't be avoided. Go finish suiting yourself." "You are right, anyway I am almost done, I just need my weapons." Benji commented.

After those words Benji moves back to his room, Layla, Atsuko and Haruka follow him, Erika is organizing and calming the girls, the situation changed pretty drastically in a short amount of time.

"Goshujin-sama can you at least tells us anything?" Layla pleaded, she was confused about the strangers, several of them are male and she is very wary of them. "Sage thought that you, us, could need a hand and came to help." Benji said while moving to his room, the clock is ticking and he still wants to eat something light and drink something cold. "He is a friend of mine, I kept in touch with him and the others by letters, they live in that large farm four kilometers southwest from here, right at the feet of Mount Yukizakura."

Layla could visualize the location, it was right at the feet of the neighboring mountain, not so far from there, but it would take few hours to walk around the mountain, roughly the same time to reach Amatsu from it and then take the trail to the Silver Moon castle. "Wait you mean that this location was preselected?" Atsuko asked seriously, it was too convenient that Benji had friends so near of the castle.

"Actually it was a coincidence." Benji explained while opening his bedroom door. "Sage, me and the others bought the area of the valley of the Mount Yukizakura and the Mount Akikana, well half of each mount too, anyway we were using part of the valley for farming purposes, we build a farm there, a nice house, there is a well there too, man the river is great too, anyway it is where they live, I used to drop there every now and then. When I made the guild and gained the castle I learned that the Silver Moon castle was close of the farm."

"And why they haven't acted sooner?" Haruka asked seriously, they could use extra hands in the months that he wasn't there. "Technically they were supposed to be retired, I am pretty thankful that they decided to take arms for our sake, even thought they knew that I wasn't here." Benji answered while putting on his pauldrons.

"And what now?" Atsuko asked, she had no idea that Benji had part in a farm. "For now we keep the castle for another day." Benji answered while buckling the arm straps of his left shoulder pauldron. "After that we deal when it comes."

"What about that Mama woman that is on the kitchen?" Layla asked. "We can either have a party today or tomorrow." Benji replied. "It is for you girls." They felt nice that Benji was rewarding them for their work, but they are still nervous about everything, with so many questions to ask but not enough time to ask them, so they only observe while Benji finishes strapping the still damaged armor.

"It took a really nasty beating." Atsuko said while running her fingers on his left pauldron, feeling the dents and cuts on it. "But I am really glad that this is what is damaged and not you." she added with a smile, Benji smiles back at his lover, he too was glad for that, that pauldron saved him more than few times in the past.

Ten minutes later Benji now with two slender swords sheathed on his belt a little bellow the small of his back, with the Vassala at his back, a series of venom knives on the belt across his chest holding the Vassala on his back, and two pistols on his side is talking with Sage, who is clad in a similar armor than Benji is.

From the gate the girls watch as Benji discuss the last arrangements for the battle, Karen is a bit confused in how the blind wolf rider will do any good among the archers, but she was ordered to let her move freely on the walls. With ten minutes to the end of the lunch the guild and allies start to get tense once again, they know that it will soon start all over again.

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Junko was visibly mad, she never expected to find nearly everyone who deserted her right then, right there, so close of her, to add an insult to the injury, everyone, including Benji were wearing the armors that they worn in the clan, she knew the power of them, while Benji was the newest of the band, everyone else wasn't.

Sage himself were in the clan for good four years before he left with Benji, Junko couldn't accept why Sage would turn against her and follow someone who he only met for few weeks. When Benji deserted almost her entire wing of front attackers left with him, even her dancer and healer followed, but that wasn't the worst, the worst was that Marisa, also know as Mama left with them!

Junko could live without front attackers, lancers, dancers and healers, but Mama was the person that made everyone happy and behaved, she was the cook, well also a powerful fighter, but mostly the cook, and she was a heavenly cook.

Itsuki sighed inwardly seeing Junko fuming silently next to her, she pretty much expected that when they saw Sage approaching the castle, unlike Junko Itsuki was more aware of why Sage followed Benji, Sage respected Benji, after all it was Benji who gave them the idea of how invade a impregnable castle and executed the idea all by himself before opening the gates for them, after that Sage pretty much adopted Benji, actually laughing heartily, congratulating Benji and giving him slaps on his back when Benji rose to Major, outranking himself even being older and in the clan for a longer time.

Marisa was there because she loves Sage, plus she took a liking of Benji too, Benji was big boy and loved to eat, she loved to cook and people who love to eat so she liked Benji. Suzuka was brought to the clan by Benji, and by the desertion she wasn't even an official member, Elle was a harsh hit for the ranks, their only high lever healer, not a priestess or a monk as the usual healer, but a true healer, with next to none combative skills, armed only with healing spells and defensive spells, totally defenseless and almost useless in battle if you forget her sorcery of massive healing, but Elle moved to were she felt that was needed, and she was pretty much right, Benji needed her the most as a full fledged front attacker.

Itsuki hated what happened, it was a harsh hit on Junko and her pride, but Itsuki understood and inwardly supported Benji's decision and acts, while he could have acted slightly different, Junko was the wrong one there, but it doesn't matter, she was still her little Junko and Itsuki would be on her side forever, even if no one else would be.

However Itsuki would also enforce sense into Junko's mind from time to time, and this was a time were it would be needed, holding Junko's right wrist and shaking her head telling her 'No.' was enough, they could go against Benji at that moment, that if he was alone, but still he would deliver pain if not death to them, with his guild backing him, they are severely outnumbered and victory would be impossible, with Sage and the others there, defeat was not only a certain but it would be fast, at that moment they should let things be.

Itsuki could see that Benji was pretty much ready to kill, the message was clear in the morning, but now things are in a whole new level, he was actually prepared to do so for a long time, he is using only his under-armor, the lightest layer of it all, with enough protection to make most of attacks nothing more than a baby slap. The swords on his waist are new to Itsuki, but knowing Benji, she knew than they would be good killing tools, otherwise he wouldn't use them at all in that situation.

Not so far from there in a makeshift bench Dante and Helen are watching the developments, Helen even called some of her friends in the guild to watch, Aiko was quite eager too, she even brought snacks, sure an ice bench wasn't the best thing, but with the proper insulation it was okay, at least her juices and wine would be cool.

The formation by the gate changes slightly as Benji and the others form a line under the gate, shutting it with their bodies, Sage grins at Benji who smirks back to the older man, Benji readies his cannon guard and takes a javelin from Saki, who is clad only in a short tiger stripped kimono that barely covers the middle of her thighs and leaves her whole arms uncovered.

Saki as a monster wasn't officially in the battle, but she would fight as well, as her duty is to support Elle, for that she has a massive kanabo strapped on her back, which is a Japanese or in this case an Amatsu mace made entirely of steel, with menacing looking metal studs, a thick ring as the pommel of the mace with a red fluffy tassel on it.

After giving to Benji the spear Saki moves back a handful of meters, staying next to Elle, Elle is silently looking at the line in front of her, she knows that when the day is over they all would be hurt and the only thing that she can do is sooth their pain later.

And it begins, everyone can hear the sound of running feet and war cries getting closer, the enemy is coming, rushing from Amatsu in a mad charge, and soon they start pouring out from the entrance of the field, rushing straight to the blocked gate. "This is going to be good." Sage commented with his grin widening, he loved his new and peaceful life of farming, but from time to time he missed the thrill of battle, and he was going to get his fill of it right then.

Atsuko doesn't really knows what to think about everything, she was fed a wee bit too much information, first Benji arrives stronger than ever, killing by himself more people that she could count, then he summoned slaves, one which was still half dead in a corner, clearly alive, but quite not so alive, then there was his new outfit, sure she was used to Benji wearing unusual clothes, but that was in a whole new level, and it was hidden on his room as she, Layla and Haruka pretty much raided his closet in his absence.

Then there was his friends, Atsuko knew that there was a whole period of Benji's life that she has no idea of what happened on it, she has one just like that, and Benji doesn't know about it, but the worse was how everyone got along, it was quite well, but with this ounce of bickering, well mostly with Suzuka.

However Suzuka did braided and tied Benji's now long hair with a long ribbon before he joined the fighting force, Atsuko could still see the self-proclaimed princess holding on the back of Benji's jacket, running her fingers on his long and still damp hair while swiftly braiding it, then tying it on the middle of the length, folding it and tying it again, repeating the process another time before tying the much shorter hair together, giving a light pat on it before ushering Benji to the frontline, Benji then tied a black bandana on his head, tying the braid under the fabric, to prevent people from grabbing on his hair in battle.

Atsuko wasn't the only one mad at that, Layla and Haruka were too, the unknown woman showed an amount of intimacy that they didn't liked at all, Atsuko was more reserved on her jealously, actually she was angry because she didn't thought of that in the first place.

The entire rear guard; or the guild girls could see the approaching army, it was way different from the previous invasion, and this one was a sheer wave of attackers when all the previous started with few guilds and slowly increased in numbers.

The clash of the attackers with the defenders is loud and violent, as countless adventurers throw themselves against the shields of the defenders, to the awe of the guild girls, the defending line barely slid back half a meter and remained as a solid wall of steel even when violently pushed back by the attackers.

To everyone's shock the defenders push back all the attackers, forcing the massive wave back a good pair of meters, using the shock the defense advanced brandishing their spears and piercing the attackers violently. Pulling back their spears the defenders once again ready their shields but this time they dash forward, violently pushing back the attackers, crushing them as the waves in the rear force forward against the advancing wall of steel.

The impact on the enemy morale was visible; they were losing terrain to a much smaller force as the defenders gained a five meters radius area from the gate. However the defenders don't stop with just that, they keep thrusting their spears on the attackers, killing everyone in reach.

With a whistle between her lips Elle gives a short but loud whistle, it was what Benji was waiting, taking a leap backward and seeing Sage and Donovan one of the lancers taking his position Benji seeks for leaders on the army. Finding one Benji throws the spear at her.

The poor alchemist didn't had much of a chance or luck as the javelin hits her in the mouth, piercing her from there, Benji winced lightly, but wanting or not throws like that aren't all that accurate, she was just unlucky. Drawing a large and long knife, it is an half meter long blade, with two edges in the slight curved blade, the blade tip is larger than the middle and get larger again near of the handle, it have a small protuberance in the edge to inflict more damage with the tip of the protuberance and the other side of the edge the larger point of the blade, the tip if the edge is very thin and sharp with a slight turn to upside to the protuberance side, near of the handle is also sharp in the blade with a tips of the blade forming a guard, the part that is turned to the handle is blunt, a larger circle area in the connecting point of the handle and the blade are the main guard, and the hilt is wrapped with cloth and it has about ten centimeters of cloth hanging from the ring.

It was another unseen weapon by the girls, Atsuko never saw a weapon like that, it was too short to be called sword, but too long to be a knife or dagger, it was also thick and heavy looking, clearly made to cut not only with the sharp edge but with its weight. Benji takes few more steps back before running forward; kicking the ground Benji jumps over Sage, in midair Benji finds his landing spot and kills the person that is occupying it.

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Far from Amatsu

"He is back." A male voice says to peers in the shadowed room. "And he had to return in the very same day that we set our plans in motion." "If there is a chance of things failing spectacularly they will fail spectacularly." A feminine voice says from the shadows. "Yes it is a pity that our carefully laid plans are doomed to fail, but we knew that there was a chance of this happening when we put them in motion."

"Besides is too late to fall back." A second feminine voice commented. "Wanting or not we just added to his reputation, but on the flip side we are learning more about his skills, it isn't a bad result." "Not a bad result?!" A second male voice exclaimed. "He killed Vana! He alone not only killed Vana but slaughtered a sizable part of the army sent there, and right on this moment he is doing it again, and now our forces can't even get near the fucking gate!"

The others remain in silence, the second female smiles under the protection of the darkness, she knew quite well that things would fail, and fail badly, and she knew from the very beginning that it wouldn't work, besides isn't like she is all that interested in the Seiryu's legions, for her they are just a piece that is drawing attention of the ones who call themselves her peers, and it was pretty much time to end this farce, she endure those meetings, greed and complaints for far too long.

"Well I must say that it wasn't a pleasure." She said while resting her chin on the palm of her hand as the lights of the room suddenly are lithe, the conspirers there wince and scream, the first woman recovers first and sees the second with a pair of shades. "But it is pretty much my job to do this." She added with a smirk. "As the Legion's assassin."

End of the chapter twenty nine:

Author explanation corner:

Nosferatu sword: Another piece of original equipment, as told in the story it is a magic sword that repairs itself when covered with blood, restoring itself to its original condition, removing any damage or bonuses of itself. Unbreakable at any situation and it can't be refined, with a STR above 100 the damage in increased by 10 percent, the original damage is of 350. Shadow element weapon, the damage is neutral. Ah and for anyone curious even after being cut in half and chopped a bit it can repair itself to the former glory with the application of blood.

Terror tree: Original 'skill' tree, it contains the terror stalk, the ability to walk after a running target and always be closing in, not mattering how fast the target runs away, you are always right behind it, walking and closing in, ready for the kill, taking great pleasure in the chase.

It also contains the overkill skill, with additional damage bonuses inflicted when killing someone a bit more, those bonuses are kept for a short while after the target is dead and can be used on a new target and accumulated with the ones gained from that new one, it is a vicious circle. It works with every weapon, bare fisted, or with bunnies, well with anything that can be used to kill and as I believe that everything can be used to kill if used well (even plushies) the bonus and the skill work with everything.

Gore killing show/display, it is another skill of the terror tree, it was also used with the overkill skill in this chapter and when Benji killed Atroce, well it is used with the overkill skill most of the time. The more brutal, vicious and cruel killing, as well messy more scared the watchers will be of the user, the fear of the user will cut the stats of everyone around him in any fraction according to the fear that they feel, more scared, weaker they get, as well more confused, I am sure that everyone at least once shouted at that stupid college girl that to 'escape' from the movie's killer runs straight to the second floor, if not to the bathroom, where she has no way of escaping of, that is mostly what can happen with someone under the effect of this skill.

Evil urban legend, this is a passive skill, hell other than terror stalk all the skills of this tree so far are passive, as a vicious and evil killer you get a reputation, that reputation gives negative bonuses on those who faces you and know about your reputation, the legends can be embellished to be even more impressive than the original feat is, it only gives more bonuses. For allies this translates in positive bonuses.

Induce fear, active skill, finally…, using his voice, body language and eyes the caster can induce fear on the targets, random effects, stun, freeze, confusion, blind (you know blind fear, ok bad joke, so scared that can see what is going on), death (there is registered cases of being scared to death), coma, faint, uncontrollable incontinence (I won't translate this to everyday, but it goes with both ways). More than one effect can happen at once. It can be used with any other skill of this tree, bonuses of them are added to the effectiveness of the induce fear skill. Commands can be given using this skill to herd the targets in the way that the caster wishes.

Focus evil and evil laugher, active skills, just kidding no skill here, for the evil laughter I do have a pretty evil one, I am strictly forbidden of laughing like that in home, is such a pain, I mean there are times that a laugh like that just comes when you see something.

Summon slaves: Anyone with some knowledge knows that this is an exclusive MVP skill; it allows the MVP to call a number, usually under ten, of slaves to fight with him. And I got my own version, how sweet is that? More info about the slaves later. And for anyone wondering the blonde haired swordswoman slave is Doppelganger-chan, now properly named as Yami, for hell beats Doppelgangerko, or something like that. For those who doesn't know adding –ko is a common Japanese way to make a masculine name feminine, -ko is a common thing in feminine names in Japan. E.g.: Jun**ko**, Mari**ko**, Nana**ko**, Ai**ko**.

Yami AKA Doppelganger-chan: I had long decided that she would pester Benji in the real world too, so she got a new body as a slave, more details on this later, Benji is quite pleased with that, now he can actually inflict physical pain on that pest, and boy he is nowhere near done with her, he has plenty of months of pent up stuff to inflict on her, plus he has to break her into her place as slave anyway, it is not only punishment but it is training. Minus means that she is even less ranked than a regular slave on Benji's ranks of slaves, and that means that the others are free to break the hell out of her when they want or felt that is needed, all in name of training.

Dante: Well he is a battle maniac, he gets off with battles; don't ask me I also find that weird. And I won't tell why he is afraid of Helen; I want to remember everyone that Dante is the guild leader and not Helen.

The case of the missing clothes: I don't know if is an universal trait, but my girlfriends had this habit of wearing some of my clothes, no complaint from me here, one day I might find out how and why they make my clothes look so sexy in them, quite often taking it with them for a while, it was a pain when I needed this one dark blue button up shirt for a for interview, sure I love the perfume that my girlfriend uses, but having it on you is a bit bad for a interview. Anyway because they missed Benji they raided his clothes that had a bit of his scent on it, as well reminded them of him.

Secret stash of things: With all the hints about having those around you think that I wouldn't use it now? Benji took everything that he is wearing now, other than the pistols, from one of the secret rooms; it is a good thing that he kept some clean clothes there too.

Clan friends: This is another thing that I had decided that would happen on this WoE as this is the closing of an arch if you want to call like that.

Sage: Class swordsman/lancer, he is from one of the forgotten classes, I decided to not give a fancy name to it, at least not now, but he has all the swordsmen masteries as his class is older than the current ones, who divided itself and most of the old skills. So he has spear mastery, shield mastery, swords masteries, and few more things.

Marisa: I really, really had to make this one, she was in the original concept of this WoE as well, she is huge, a very tall, broad shoulders, strong, but friendly woman, I admit that my concept on her was the stereotype for a 'Italian mother/grandmother/mother in law', those women who love to cook for people and think that everyone is so skinny and underfed, and need to eat more tasty, tasty food, and that on her mind, everyone that she care is practically her children. Any guesses on her fighting class? None? The closest relation for a class is alchemist, I can't get rid of this image of her and a rolling pin…, but she is from a forgotten class similar to alchemist (cook!), a very, very dangerous lady.

Suzuka: I felt that in the story it lacked a touch of arrogance, her character concept was made to fill that, but originally she is the 'kill with a dance girl' mentioned in an early chapter. She has an attractive and sexy body and isn't afraid of showing it to the world, with some clothes on, being high bred she is quite arrogant most of the time, it is part of her charm, anyway, she can also be considerate with those that she care for, hence the trying Benji's hair scene, more about her later.

Saki: Since I keep getting new pets I decided to throw another one in the fray, originally Saki is from Amatsu, from one of the unknown parts of it (unexplored areas), she is a monster that lived in a mountain that Benji accidentally ended on, she is an oni, a Japanese ogre as some translate it. It seems that everyone has his or her own view of onis, and there are several onis in the legends as well, as oni are famous for attacking human cities and stealing women, I came with few theories, first, the female oni are ugly as hell and the male ones went after human females because they are pretty, or the second one, oni females are just like human females with horns (any number as onis can have any number of horns, the most known ones between 1 horn and 5).

So for Saki I took the second theory, female onis are just like human females (it must hurt quite badly to mate with a male oni, the things are huge), as legends dictates that onis wear tiger stripped stuff I made Saki's under kimono with that pattern while her upper kimonos are simple ones.

As a oni Saki is very strong, I really mean very strong here, the 'how the f:ck such slim arms and delicate body gets that' kind of strength, after being tamed by Benji (tale for another chapter), and following Benji in Amatsu she didn't like how they were treated, Amatsu is pretty much Japan, and onis are demons, so they were poorly treated because of that, onis attack people, so Saki asked to Benji when they were in the farm to cut off her horn, so she would look like any other woman. I won't get in details on this one right now, it involves lots of pain.

After months, healing spells and time the scar closed, the horn dried (horns are living stuff you know), and while in the farm Saki decided to make it a pendant for her master. This pendant has the essence of the oni's strength; it gives a 20 percent bonus in STR, VIT and ATK, plus few more things that I don't tell now. But I admit that the stuff is quite powerful.

Elle: she is from a forgotten class called healer, she isn't like priests, as a healer that is all that she can do, she can't fight, the best that she can do is raise defenses around herself, but the total lack of offense is paid with an absolute mastery of the healing arts, more details later.


	31. Ending hours

Hi this is Benji Himura I am starting a new fanfic

Hi this is Benji Himura I am starting a new fanfic. I don't own Ragnarok online I also don't own the characters of that story or the plot; taking out the changes that I will make and the characters that I will create. I own Benji Himura and others characters that will show up in the story. It might be violence and sex in the story so if you are underage of seventeen are warned the content might be too improper to your age. Read by your own will and risk. In anyway enjoy the story.

Signed: Benji Himura

"Text" Talked sentences.

'Text' Thoughts.

-Text- Sounds effects.

(Text) Talked sentences in a foreign language

: Text: Messages show in an electronic screen or written.

**Text**: something being recalled, flashbacks, scenes being replayed.

_Text_: a detail found in a location, scene, person, recording and images that originally wasn't there.

Chapter thirty: Ending hours

From the walls Karen stares in disbelief she had never seen anything like that, never mind Benji killing in a whirlwind of steel, it was Sora, who is sniping out guild leaders with her bow from the wall, still on top of her wolf. Karen now understood that what she considered earlier as an odd walking stick was actually a unstring bow, and was honestly impressed as the small girl easily draws the string of such large and strong bow. The arrows are also shocking, it isn't the regular arrows that most archers use, they look almost like spears, and their damage is brutal, as one arrow easily pierces at the very least four adventurers before coming to a halt.

Suzuka walks to the defending line and say something that the girls can't understand, then she opens her fan and starts to move it, moving her body alongside it, getting on a rhythm, what shocks everyone is how every enemy in a large area start to follow her moves, even retreating as she takes back few steps.

"Let's go everyone!" Suzuka shouted cheerfully. "Tsurugi no mai!" Every adventurer swings their swords, daggers, mace, spear or whatever they are brandishing in the same way as Suzuka moves her open fan, slashing, hitting and wounding the person around them while Suzuka skillfully dances, moving her body and fan gracefully as the charmed adventurers damage themselves.

"Now everyone it is the final step do it right!" Suzuka exclaimed while closing her fan and pressing hard against her neck, before pulling to the side, making all the adventurers slash their throats. "Perfect!" Suzuka exclaimed with a smile, she opens her fan and fans herself, cooling her hot and sweaty body. "All done, guys it is cool down time, back to work." She said cheerfully to Sage and the others as she walks back to the gate.

"Did she just do what I think that she did?" Atsuko asked to Jannine. "If you think that she killed around one hundred fighters using some odd dance then the answer is yes." Jannine replied to the blonde. "She makes you run for your money." Haruka teased Makie. "As a dancer she is much better." Makie just nodded agreeing, as a dancer she was nowhere as awesome as Suzuka.

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Everyone was pretty much shocked with everything, one hour had passed since the battle started and the defenders, Sage and the others are still fighting hard without much sign of tiredness. A short and sharp whistle from Elle fills the air, it then it is followed by short series of whistles with different lengths.

Benji looks up from the killing and turns to the gate, and see Elle waving her left hand, Benji nods and runs towards the gate, his speed shocks everyone as it was far superior than before, jumping over the defenders Benji skids on a landing, marking the ground with his heels as he slows down, coming to a halt in front of Elle.

It pretty much surprised everyone to see Benji retreating from the front, to a safe location between the defenders and his guild, kneeling on the ground Benji rest his long knife and shield on the ground while a green magic circle appear around him, flecks of light slowly lift from the ground as the circle moves, lighting Benji and the air with a faint green light.

Now the girls could actually see that Benji's face was dripping with sweat, his breathing harder and he looked quite tired. Saki jumps to action and shoves a large plate of metal on the ground in front of Benji, actually of the circle that faces to the enemy, just before a rain of arrows impact on the four meters large and three meters tall one inch thick large shield.

Elle smiled content at that, now she could worry only in healing Benji the best that she can, and she has a lot to heal. From the rear the girls watch in awe, the magic was far different from anything that they had ever saw, while they couldn't see how well it is healing Benji, he does seem to be recovering in an steady pace.

For long minutes Benji remains there, until the spell is broken and he is released, as an arrow Benji returns to the battlefield, ready to continue his task. The guild is impressed with how everything is moving, Elle is pretty much coordinating the whole thing with whistles, healing and refreshing the fighters that continuously battle without a sound other than battle cries.

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Hours passed and the fight still goes on, it was past seven in the night, and the spirit of the attackers was too shaken to continue, the defenders covered in sweat doesn't even seem tired as they all kneel in the ground, a huge empty field between them and the invading guilds.

Benji now with two swords in hands rest with the others, while outside they don't look tired as everyone he was quite tired, six hours of fighting wears anyone. Elle is healing the defense line; Saki is distributing citrus juice and a piece of dried and salted beef for everyone, so they could replenish some of the liquid and calories that they all lost. Benji looks at the salted dried beef, he ate salt and dried stuff for months and was tired of it, but he knows that he needs it, so he just eat it.

The guild was impressed, never before a break was given other than the lunch hour, but by sheer destruction of the enemy's morale they got one. Layla as many girls is uneasy, they want to help Benji, they want help him badly, but they feel that they will break the sturdiness of the defense line.

"After today I will be glad in return to farming." Sage commented to Benji and Donovan. "I had my fill a while ago." "Same here." Donovan commented, while younger than Sage he got tired of fighting. "I just want to rest." Benji said tiredly. "I am fighting to survive in more ways than one for almost eight months now, I want a cold bath and a soft bed, maybe even a lover or two, but just to warm my bed. I am too tired for that now."

Sage laughed at that. "Give it a week or two and your drive will return." He commented in a fatherly way. "Your stamina must be quite low, you are using sheer hormones and spirit now, and you are running out of hormones."

Benji nodded agreeing, while his spirit could press forward even more if needed, his body was screaming for him to rest, the testosterone that was fueling him among other hormones is running quite low, even feeling the delicious scent of girls from his guild isn't helping to increase it, plus he is with a massive migraine, Benji is betting that is his body telling him that he is worn out badly.

Benji laughed sarcastically as he sees bloody branches being broken and throw in the field as the army retreats, filling the area with strong monsters. "I guess that the break is over, I get that Valkyrie." Benji commented. "I feel like I need another slave." "She is all yours for taking." Sage replied with a chuckle, perhaps Benji isn't all that bad as he can still lust for another toy in his collection. "You are sure that you don't want that little maid over there?" "I will get her too. I won't need more than one move for that one." Benji answered, looking at the maid like monster, she was kind like Alice, but different.

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It was midnight, the WoE was officially over, and Benji was officially dead on his feet, Vassala was held loosely on his hand and it was only sheer willpower that kept him on his feet. But the attacking guilds aren't retreating even thought the gate is shut, their pride was too badly wounded for them to just walk away, being stopped by a whole guild was acceptable, but by less than sixteen people wasn't.

However other people there had better plans, Dante bored with watching decides to teach to those sore losers a lesson, and the best part of it all is that Helen actually allowed him to go and kill everyone there, sure Benji was safely tucked away inside his castle, but Dante knew better than looking a gift horse's mouth.

Saki is carefully pouring cold water on Benji's body, a gesture that is being replicated by Marisa to Sage, the others are helping themselves with buckets, teasing the two for having help for that, actually a little jealous of that. The sighs of pleasure at the cool water are noticed by everyone, as the tired warriors relax after so long.

"Okay boys you all did well and deserved this." Marisa said while placing a large drum of something in the middle of them. "Drink it up." And they do, but the girls are a bit disgusted and shocked at how they do it, every warrior, Saki included just dive at the barrel, drinking large mouthfuls of the purple liquid inside like thirsty animals.

No one questioned Saki being there, she also found a lot and her white body has it share of cuts, bruises and blood on it. Benji is the first to pull away coughing, his stomach was twisting and turning at the large amount of liquid that suddenly was poured inside. "Easy." Marisa said while filling a pail with the purple liquid and pouring over Benji. "You aren't in a good shape now, let the potion works its magic on you."

Benji just let the liquid run down on his body; it felt good and cool, refreshing his aching body and washing his wounds. Saki stops drinking and throws her damp hair over her head. Taking a new bucket of fresh water she looks at Marisa who nods and let the oni wash her master.

Now and then Benji coughs as his body wants to throw up the potion. Layla, Atsuko and the inner circle walk closer of Benji. Curious Erika peeks on the half empty barrel. "Here." Sage says while handing to Erika a mug of the potion. "Thank you." Erika replied accepting it, she sips on it, she doesn't care that twelve men and one demon drank from it, she was forced to drink truly disgusting things.

"This is good what this is?" Erika asked to Sage. "Mama calls it purple potion." Sage answered. "We call spiced herb wine." Erika could understand why they called it wine, it does resemble the taste of wine, but Erika could also taste the herbs and tell that was also medicinal.

"I am so crazy for a bath right now." Benji commented tiredly. "You gals go have the feast." "Unless you are with us we don't feel like celebrating." Layla said seriously, he wasn't surprised in seeing Haruka and Atsuko agreeing, but Jannine, Saya and the others was a bit of a surprise. "We can wait until you are rested." Atsuko added. "Why don't you take a bath? The girls can wait until you are done."

Benji nodded agreeing. "Hey where you are going?!" Haruka exclaimed to the oni girl. "I shall help Benji-sama to wash his body as well be sure that he won't fall sleep in the bathtub." Saki replied seriously. "Not this time." Benji says to Layla, Atsuko and Haruka, he can tell that they want to join, but he doesn't want them to see how his body is after everything. "Okay?"

Uneasy and unsure they nod agreeing, Benji was asking for them to give him some space, while they want to be with him now that the war is over they will obey him. Elle slips unnoticed and meets Benji in the halls of the castle; Benji shows her his office and agrees to meet her after he baths.

Saki almost cries when seeing Benji's body, with a whimper she helps him out of his armor and clothes, his muscles tensed so badly that bruised, if some haven't just distended, the skin was also stretched badly, torn in some places, closed recent wounds opened, and the bruises from Vana's fight were painfully black and swollen.

Benji allows the demon to wash him, the cramps were too bad to move then, unless needed he wouldn't do more than breath since even that hurts. Saki dutifully washes Benji's body, being gently and using her hands, afraid that anything else might cause him pain.

Few minutes later Benji is inside the cold pool, thanks to the never melting ice and bath salts that he threw there it was bellow freezing and good there, it numbed him quite well. He sighs in pleasure at the cold water, allowing himself to relax under the attentive and worry eyes of Saki.

She haven't said anything, asked why he was hurt or why he found until his body was on that state, Benji loved Saki for that, she would respect his wishes for silence and privacy, even when dying to ask him why. He loves his lovers but Benji knew that if they saw him they would suffocate him with worry and questions, for the moment he just want to let go.

"Benji-sama, it might be bad for you to stay there for so long." Saki said in a worried tone, Benji was bleeding too much into the water, adding that to the temperature he could die if he stays there much longer. "You might be right but let me enjoy this just for a couple more minutes." Benji replied. "You can take me out in two minutes." Saki nodded and remains kneeled in the edge of the pool next to Benji.

"I am a terrible master aren't I?" Benji asked while closing his eyes. "I don't think so." Saki answered honestly. "You were just unable to care for me because you sudden departure. Never had I stopped loving you. If possible I wanted to stay here. I can be more useful for you here, in any way that you see fit, even if is cleaning the latrines."

"I wouldn't make you do that." Benji replied. "I have better uses for you; anyway you can help me out now." Saki nodded and helps Benji to leave the pool. Ten minutes later Saki is walking a couple steps behind Benji as he moves to his office in clean clothes.

Making sure that only Elle is there Benji locks the door. "You know the drill, get naked so I can exam and fix you up." Elle said seriously. "Okay." Benji replied, he knew that he would suffer, but it was better to have his wounds closed before he goes to bed.

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"Don't worry about us." Sage says to Erika. "We brought sleeping bags and tents, we will expend the night by the wagons. We won't need rooms." "Hey speak for yourself I want a bed." Suzuka exclaimed. "We can arrange a room for you if you don't mind sharing with that Saki girl and the Sora one." Erika said with a smile. "And if you desire we have outdoor baths for both males and females, you can wash the sweat from your body if you wish."

"I would love that." Suzuka replied with a smile, she was all sticky with sweat. "I also wouldn't mind one." Sage commented sniffing himself, he was quite smelly after fighting for so long. "The male bath should be empty, but the female side must be busy, you will have to wait for a while." Suzuka nodded and agrees to wait.

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Layla is outside Benji's office, he wasn't on his room or in the bath, after a scan in the dinning hall his office was the only other place for him to be. She could hear a conversation but couldn't make it.

Inside Elle speaks to Benji. "This is the best that I can do for now." She said seriously. "You are a very stupid guy for forcing yourself like this, using the watch so many times when the cooling phase of the previous time wasn't even over. Your body is quite on the edge now, unless you stop and let it heal I can't predict what will happen to you."

"I plan on resting, resting a lot now." Benji replied, for at the least one week he will just sleep as much as he can and take easy, even though sex would be great, the idea was just too tiresome for him to pursue at the moment. "Good, I will be around to follow up." Elle commented. "For today sleep, sleep as much as you can, tomorrow I will check on your condition again."

Benji nodded agreeing, Saki helps Benji to stand up. "I will ask to someone find you a room." Benji told to Elle. "Don't worry much about me." Elle replied. "Just rest." Leaving the office Layla found herself busted, too embarrassed to even feel jealous about the demon girl that is giving Benji a shoulder so he can walk. "I explain later." Benji said to the knight, pulling her with his right hand and passing his arm around her shoulders. "Now to my room." Layla nod in silent, inwardly happy about the turn of events.

Benji let out a long tired sigh when sitting on his bed, with his back against the tall headboard. "Saki you can rest now, go wash yourself and eat something, you need it." Benji told to the oni, she nodded demurely and excuses herself. Then Benji turns to the knight, who is now only with a light dress, her hair still damp from bathing. "I am sorry Layla but I am not in shape for that." Benji apologized to the knight.

"I know." Layla replied softly kissing him, caressing his damp hair. "We can wait a little longer, just get better okay, I know that you are this secretive because you are hurt and not only tired." "I make up for your girls later." Benji said with a smile. "Go tell to Atsuko and Haruka that I will sleep now. Then you can come back here, I sure won't mind having you or another girl with me, but no more than two." Layla nodded and smiled, giving him a last kiss before leaving the room.

A short while later Layla returns with Atsuko, Erika passed the chance to the blonde, knowing that Atsuko missed Benji as much as Layla, and that Haruka was too nasty to deserve that treat.

The two women lie next to Benji, one at his right and the other at his left, being carefully to not press themselves too hard against him, but being close of him, holding him close not willing to let him go.

Benji was just happy in holding and being held by them, he missed them a lot, he also missed Haruka and Erika, but somehow the two were a bit bellow Layla and Atsuko on Benji's affections, for now he was satisfied in holding the two and feeling their scent, as he missed that a lot.

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Morning came and Benji felt the impact of overdoing as he was too sore and tired to even leave bed, luckily both Atsuko and Layla were more than willingly to help him with anything and deal with any of his needs, which some were helping him to the restroom. A bit later Elle came to check on Benji and heal him more, as well ease his pain.

While Atsuko and Layla wait outside the room Erika let's them know about how things developed. "Our allies are returning to their own barracks." Erika said to the two. "Sage and Marisa, as well Suzuka and Sora will be staying while the others are returning to their home, they have to tend the crops."

The duo listens to the report in silence, knowing that they will have to tell Benji that. "Currently everyone else is doing their tasks." Erika added. "Haruka is a bit pouty but is working." No one really blamed Haruka for being in a bad mood for not getting a special treatment.

"But I am a bit worried about something else." Erika said seriously. "That swordswoman type slave is roaming freely and causing some trouble." Atsuko and Layla look at each other confused, not knowing what to do. "I deal with that." Benji said while leaving his room. Elle is behind him with a serious scowl, she didn't liked that Benji was up on his feet, but he were the one who forgot to put that slave away.

"Remember five minutes." Elle said seriously. "I will need only two." Benji replied with a smile, he could be tired, sore and feeling like shit, but he has more than enough power to put Yami on her place.

In the dinning hall Yami is having fun terrorizing the girls, too distracted to realize the doom walking towards her. With a sturdy chair on his hands Benji approaches of the slave. Yami screeches in pain when the chain hits her, breaking several of her back's bones.

Turning as she falls she sees a jeans and white t-shirt clad Benji raising the chair once again before he smashes it on her head. Throwing away the now broken chair Benji grabs Yami's ankle and drag her away, leaving a trail of blood as he walks. "I am so not cleaning that." Tessa one of the guild girls, actually the one in charge of cleaning the dinning hall for the day said seriously.

Benji drags Yami to his office where he ties her with a rope, after breaking her arms and legs, wrapping her in a tight bundle, before he throws her gagged in an empty secret room. "Done." Benji said while dusting his hands. "You are a sick little puppy you know it?" Elle asked in a sarcastic tone, once again Benji impressed her with his flair for cruelty, but the slave deserved that. "Anyway back to bed, you are in no shape for that." Benji nodded and obeys.

"Well at the least we learned about one of the secret rooms." Erika commented to her fellow lovers. "Yeah, but I am still curious about her." Atsuko replied. "Well I will fix Benji something light to eat." "I will go wash Benji's clothes." Layla added, they had gathered all the clothes that they took from Benji's closet, and some of them needed to be washed.

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Sure Benji felt the aftershock of being so violent with Yami, but it was worth it, at least on his opinion, that slave of his really needed to be put on her place. Elle finished with the current healing section, and even came with an estimative for his physical recover, three days in bed and being pampered by his lovers doesn't sound all that bad.

For Layla and Atsuko the news was a relief, Benji just needed a bit of a rest and care to recover, and they are more than willing to give him that, so is Haruka, though her care is more personal than advised by Elle, as she warned that sexual acts should wait for at least four days, as sex is a tiresome job.

In Benji's office Atsuko, Layla and Haruka are deciding on a schedule for taking care of Benji, all with Benji's pending approval, the trio knows that they all have guild related duties, Atsuko less than the others as she was still a bit of a stranger in the nest for many girls, so most of the guild tasks are given to others, only those that require Atsuko's knowledge about guilds were given to her, and with that she got forty percent of the time in taking care of Benji.

Haruka felt mad for having her pressing magic research, thing that she couldn't just set aside and continue later, it was not only time demanding but required a lot of work and concentration for that, so her total time was fifteen percent. Layla got a sizable thirty percent, even with her guild duties she has more time since she managed things to get time to train, and cutting on her training hours she could spend them with Benji.

The remaining fifteen percent were given to Saki and Elle, wanting or not the trio knew that the oni girl was loyal and took good care of Benji, the fact that she was ready with a meal for Benji when he woke was evidence of that, and Elle was his doctor, so her time was mostly treating him, the girls knew that Elle had more knowledge than all of them together.

Mai and Aysu are confused with everything, the bustling castle was almost like a beehive with activity, it was the day after the WoE, there was a lot of work for everyone to do, from cleaning the restrooms to repairing the guardians, everyone did what they were appointed to do, even Maria and Raki were helping out, while their task could be considered menial and futile, more of a game than anything.

The two girls are running around polishing the dinning hall's floor, Marisa watches the duo with a large smile and impressed with their diligence, she even prepared an special treat for those two little hardworking girls, she couldn't help, she have to spoil them badly.

Sage was actually helping out, sure he was just moving around the heavy tables from the dinning hall, but he was glad in doing that, he could understand why everyone fought so hard for that castle, plus he admired the work of the solid wood tables, with a new acquired carpentry hobby Sage was pretty interested in the woodwork of them.

It was the first time in months that Benji actually felt happy, Yami was in pain, threw in a distant corner to be forgotten, his lovers are close even thought he can't 'love' them as he wants to, but still having then around and helping him with stuff was good too, as well the kisses and the soft feel of their bodies were quite good too, it helped to make him better, adding to that he got cold drinks and a book, yeah he was in pain but everything made it pretty endurable.

Saki is sitting over her legs in a cushion next to Benji's bed, ready to take care of any of Benji's needs as the dutiful servant that she is, though she is indulging herself to working on her needlework, a hobby that she hardly could indulge as a wild monster, she wouldn't trade her life as a pet for anything in the world, being a pet was like a dream life for her, all the food that she can eat, all the drinks that she can drink, a gentle master to care for her and pet her, all that she has to give back is loyalty and love, she was more than willing to do so, Benji took her from a life of suffering, uncertain and danger and gave her a good life.

Humming softly the oni places more tread on the needle before resuming her work, Benji smiles at the soft tune, it was quite pleasant to hear; some times being bedridden wasn't all that bad.

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It was mid afternoon and the castle was back to its normal activity levels, the brunt of the clean up was done, the girls separated their damaged gears to be repaired, what needed to be cleaned to be cleaned, now everyone is taking easy, after months of WoE they developed a nice rhythm and routine, and it was then that Mana and Shina arrived to visit.

Not coming earlier thanks to a message from Layla, while jealous of the knight, both Mana and Shina respected the silver haired knight, so when the message that Benji was too worn out for visits arrived and they should wait for a while before coming, they listened to it.

"Well your life is clearly good right now." Mana teased when seeing Benji sited on the bed with his legs covered by the sheets. "That because you don't know the pain that I am in." Benji replied teasingly. "But other than that it is pretty good alright. It makes up for months walking on a desert with little food and water."

"Desert again?" Shina asked seriously. "They seem to attract me when involved with mystical forces." Benji answered. "I was literally in the middle of the nowhere, and got lucky to pick the right direction to walk, or I would be dead." "We can't deny your luck." Mana commented. "Given the fact of how many women is around your bed."

"Can't deny that." Benji teased. "But I am too tired for that too." "So I heard that you went on a killing spree yesterday." Mana commented casually. "Got any nice stuff from the trip?" "Salt dried fish, salt dried beef, salt dried water, salt dried fruit, salt dried salt." Benji answered.

"Salt dried water?" Atsuko asked with a frown. "Yeah, just add water and you can drink." Benji answered, it was a joke but why clear that out now. "I did get some trinkets and stuff but looking on my bag and sort the stuff will require a lot of work." "So any interesting stories to share?" Mana asked curiously while sitting on Benji's bed.

Sure Benji had plenty of those, as how he saved Aysu and dealt with the desert critters but it isn't something that he likes to remember, it was a bit gory and annoying, especially because Mai is a futanari.

"I am not much in the mood for storytelling now." Benji answered. "It is too fresh on me." Mana nodded agreeing, what for them would be a nice tale for Benji was still fresh memories from a journey that he is still recovering from. "Make sure that Mai doesn't bath with women." Benji added. "And why that?" Layla asked confused, she saw the girl earlier and other than being a bit flat on the chest area she didn't saw much of an issue.

A scream from the bath area prevents Benji from answering. "If that is what I think that is then you will know why." Benji answered. Ten minutes later Haruka marches to Benji's room dragging an unconscious half dressed Mai. "She is a he isn't it?" Haruka asked angrily.

All the girls in the room look at Benji confused. "Actually she is a she that was altered to have that." Benji explained. "Because of a certain parasite, a male parasite that she was infected with when I met her she got a curse. From time to time she changes from her true personality and feminine body, which is curvier than that."

The girls look at the unconscious futanari, her breasts were smaller and her waist thicker than before. "And her other form is a hermaphrodite with a twisted personality who seems to be in love with me." Benji continued. "I only haven't killed it yet because I kind of like of her regular self."

"So what we are supposed to do with that?" Haruka asked angrily, it was bad enough that she was seen naked by Mai, but she also saw Mai's naked body, not a pleasant image, at least is what she is telling herself. "Not sure, maybe finding a cure or something." Benji answered. "Hell if I could I would get rid of her drag self a long time ago."

"Well I admit that it looks interesting." Mana commented, true to herself, Mana was curious at the idea of having a penis, it brings a whole new perspective to sex, she loves regular sex but trying male pleasure would be interesting. The others eye Mana with anger and disgust. "Other than the pervert over there, anyone has a useful insight?" Shina asked seriously. "Throw her in her room." Benji answered. "I don't want her to wake here." "Kay." Haruka replied dragging the futanari away.

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By the noon of his second day in the castle Benji was deemed well enough to walk, that and the fact that thanks to the massive healings, potions and medicines that he took, took a lot of the soreness and pain away, so he could walk around, nothing harder than that was allowed, and for his lovers chagrin that also meant sex.

Benji decided to get up to date with the guild's work, he needed to assign official rooms to Mai and Aysu, as well for Saki, Sora would require a temporary room as the girl was curious about the castle that she had watched from the outside but never allowed to enter on, Sage and Marisa would also need one, even though they claimed not to need one.

Since everyone did a good job managing everything Benji had little to do or to catch up with, everything was almost the same as he left, the account book was well kept and neat, the management reports filled and delivered, smaller tasks done, essentially the 'To do' pile was empty and the 'Done' pile was also empty as everything was filed to the right places.

'I so love these girls.' Benji thought with a smile, his office even smelled like flowers, there wasn't any work for him to do, he could live with that. So all that he had to do was to check on the castle map and the bedroom's roster to see which room was empty and which wasn't, sure he knew the ones that his lovers sleep on, but he wasn't sure about the other girls.

Ten minutes and a chat with the people needing rooms later everyone is placed in an empty room of choice. 'It feels like something is missing on this scene.' Benji thought idly while leaning on his chair, he had missed it, and it was as soft and comfy as he remembered; maybe a bit more as the soft and shapely behinds of his lovers softened the chair even more. 'I just can't put my finger on it…'

"Benji-taisho I brought you a smoothie." Haruka said while entering on the office holding a tray with a large glass on it. 'Now I know it.' Benji thought with a grin. 'It lacks sex, well nothing that I can do about it, I am medically forbidden of having sex.' Haruka doesn't miss Benji's sigh. "Did I come in a bad time?" Haruka asked worried, she really hasn't meant anything other than being worried about him.

"No, it is just that I thought in something unpleasant." Benji answered gesturing to Haruka come closer, as she stopped walking out of worry in being intruding. Benji decided to spoil Haruka a little as he was being a bit distant of her in the past days, she girl could end on his bad side more often than the others but Benji does love her, he just have to have a bit more patience with Haruka.

Haruka obeys to Benji, he doesn't seem to be mad about anything, maybe it was just as he said and he recalled something bad. "This is a banana, papaya, cereals and honey." Haruka said while offering to Benji the drink on the tray. "It is rich, cool and sweet, I don't even tell you the pain that was to make a paste out of the cereals in this blender-less land."

Benji smiled at her comment and accepts the drink. "Thank you." Benji replied before trying it, well…Haruka placed too much honey on it, but it wasn't bad. "It is a tad bit too sweet for me but it is delicious." Haruka was content with the praise, making the drink was hard, but it was worth just for that.

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"It is better that I don't feel the scent of sex on you or I will send your treatment a couple weeks back." Elle said when entering on Benji's office, on her way in she saw a very happy Haruka making her way out, and she had gathered enough information to know who shared Benji's bed in the guild.

"It was just some kissing and caressing on her." Benji answered. "Trust me as horny as I am, I am too tired to have sex now, even though the idea of asking her for a blowjob ran on my mind, I kind need the hormones that she would be sucking out of me." "Good." Elle replied she really doesn't mind the conversation; it wasn't even as crude as some that she used to hear, and she knows that what Benji was saying was based on mutual feelings and not plain lust. Elle notices the dirty glass over his desk, holding it she takes a whiff of it.

"Good, fruits, milk, honey and cereal, that is good for your starving body." Elle commented with a smile while putting the glass back down. "But not heavy enough to upset your deranged stomach. You abused of your body too much for too long, it is complaining now."

Benji sighed and leans back on his chair. "So am I turning on something other than human?" He asked looking at the healer who sits on his desk. "I won't put it behind the reason." Elle said while pointing to his demonic arm. "You did infused demon's flesh on your body, then passed through the rebirth with it, I am pretty sure that you got a sizable percentage of demon's blood on you, the improvement of your imprisoning skills are the proof of that."

"I knew that getting that arm would bite me in the ass." Benji muttered annoyed. "Well you do have the habit of eating monsters when hungry." Elle added. "It might also add to that." Benji couldn't deny it, he had ate a fair share of different monsters' species, and some tasted better than others. "And you know our situation; we are pretty sensitive to those kinds of influences."

"So I am turning into a monster?" Benji asked. "If we look at how we were when we arrived here Benji, you are a monster." Elle answered seriously. "Not only you, me, Junko, that Haruka girl that you fucks, every other stranded human, by having the powers that we all gained we are pretty much yokais. You are just more advanced than the rest of us."

Benji can't deny that for a normal human of his world Benji now would be a kind of monster. "But we are just a bit different from regular adventurers here." Elle added. "We have a reason for being and turning as we do, but you know as well as I do that sooner or later you will face something, and that something will define what you will become."

Benji was aware of that; he just didn't say to Elle that the thing had long happened. Elle was like Makie, a college student, but Elle was a medical college student, and was on her final year in college when taken to Rune-Midgard, being a healer was like a fantasy coming true, and paired with her knowledge about medicine and anatomy she was even better than an average healer, and that same knowledge allowed her to make more accurate guesses about the changes on every outcast that she encounters.

It amazed Elle to see the drastic changes that few months could have on them, Benji was the most drastic one that she had saw, at first he was a quite average adventurer, a large improvement for an average human, but after that he changed to something above human levels, his body showed that, his muscles stronger and harder than ever, his frame more solid and his reflexes by far sharper, and all that not counting the access to sorcery that he has.

What amazed Elle the most is the assortment of pets and as Benji called them slaves that Benji had gathered over the months, sure almost no one knew exactly where and how Benji got his slaves, much less where he keeps them when not using them, but Elle knew a little better than that, as she was there a couple of times when Benji enslaved monsters.

It fascinated her to see how similar to human they are but at the same time so different than regular humans, Saki was a perfect example, she was born and raised a oni, a demoness, a Japanese ogre, but now without her single horn she looked just like any other human girl, that until you see her brutal strength, even her fangs were forgivable, they were a pair of cute little fangs that mostly flared in the rare moments of her anger, most of the time they were cute and attracted attention to her pretty pink lips.

Elle could still remember how it was to remove the oni girl's horn, Benji took care of everything, but it was painful to see the girl bound on the ground, gagged and struggling while Benji cut her horn with a sharp knife, blood from the horn running on her head and face, the thick leather strands holding her head in place, the strong leather ropes holding her tense body still as she tried to break away from the pain, with Benji pressing her down with his left knee while holding on the knife and the horn.

It was brutal but Elle saw that Benji knew what he was doing, that wasn't his first time cutting horns, though Elle was sure that he did with calves and not demonesses. But the worse part it was when Benji cut the horn, he had to scrape another layer of the horn so the wound would heal and there wouldn't be a salience on Saki's forehead, to end the torturous procedure Benji using a circular metal bar burned the remainder of the horn on Saki's skull, cauterizing the bone and stopping the bleeding, all the time Saki was conscious and suffering, then cutting around the skin of the horn Benji opened the skin, adding medicines and spells, the skin was pulled to cover the hole.

Elle remembered that as Benji was pulling the edges of the cut close and Elle was using the spell, so the skin would slowly grow to cover it all, it scarred but it was much better than only the bone there, and they were quite sure that even the scar would fade with time. After that Saki was so weak that Benji had to wash her, then take her to a bed and let her rest, the poor oni girl had a massive fever for the next week but recovered well.

Looking back at Benji Elle was impressed with his right arm, she saw the scar there, she heard the tale, she actually believed on it, but the success of implanting a foreign arm on his own body impressed Elle, if the compatibility was so high then Doppelgangers could easily be a source for transplants of organs, as she saw no rejection from Benji's body to the arm.

"Anyway I want to study you closer." Elle said seriously. "Your arm intrigues me a lot, and you need medical supervision now, you lost too much weight and your organism is running amok." "As long there isn't any crazy experiments I don't mind." Benji replied. "I just want to be sure that I am still human." "You are human." Elle said. "Just not an average human."

It was what she believed on, once in Rune they all changed in what can be called superhuman, they gained powers and skills do to feats normally impossible, as well an ability to learn far beyond everything that she ever saw, it was the best way to call them, super human.

"So before you went missing how it was your sex life?" Elle asked, there was more than gossiping curiosity on her question. "Quite good I must say." Benji answered. "My recovery time is so short that I was up and ready for more in less than twenty seconds, the amount also increased a lot, I must say that it got in what I called hentai amounts."

Elle might not be Japanese but she saw a bit of anime, she also saw random hentai pics on the internet, so she had an idea of the quantity that Benji meant. "At once or adding everything?" Elle asked. "Each time." Benji answered. "With a little diminution with sequential times in a short period of time."

Elle writes down that piece of information, it was important for her to register that, as she registers every know change in the physiology of an outcast. "Any pregnancies?" Elle asked. "Not until now." Benji answered. "Though I have to admit that wasn't by lack of opportunities, I had a lot of sex with my lovers and most of the times they pretty much demanded to be inside."

Benji frowned at the words that he just spoke while Elle writes it down. "I am not getting sterile am I?" Benji asked seriously. "I am not sure." Elle answered in the same way, for her fertility was a serious issue and she could tell that Benji was serious and worried as well. "Might just be luck, but I might ask for a sperm sample later to check under a microscope, maybe a count will reveal us the truth."

Benji nodded agreeing, to know that just a lousy sperm sample would be a cheap price to pay, while pretty much settled to live the rest of his life in Rune Benji had thought about kids with his lovers, while without an absolute position on that subject Benji wanted to have a choice in the matter.

The truth is that Elle is as worried as Benji is about that, if Benji turned sterile that could mean that the women also became, and that would crush her, and since was easier to get a sperm sample than harvesting eggs then the final answer would come from Benji.

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Atsuko was happy, she found what she looked so hard for, since she found Benji's broken sunglasses she was searching for a replacement for it, while she had countless of slotted mid headgear to choose from, she wanted a pair of sunglasses as it was Benji's choice for it.

Now she trots to Benji's office holding the brand new pair of sunglasses inside a proper case, knowing that Benji will be happy with the present. Atsuko now clad in a her now daily clothes, denim pants and a t-shirt, made after Benji's clothes, she returned all of Benji's clothes to him, but she liked of how they clung on her body and got herself some just like that.

After knocking on the door Atsuko enters on the office, but it is empty, she evens looks under the desk and waits a bit to see if Benji would come out of the treasure room, but after ten minutes no one came out of that door. A bit miffed Atsuko moves to Benji's room, when reaching the door her mood was once again happy, but she gets a cold shower when not finding Benji there either.

No one saw Benji leaving or told her that Benji left the castle, so Atsuko knew that Benji was somewhere inside the castle, considering that is the third day from his arrival Atsuko moves to Layla's room, maybe Benji was deemed well enough to have sex and was easing his lust in a willingly partner.

Jealous and a bit angry Atsuko puts her ear on the door to see if she can hear the cries of pleasure associated to lovemaking, but there isn't anything like that, a short knock and a reply later. Layla clad only in a pair of white panties and a bra opens the door, now looking confused at her fellow lover. "Anything wrong?" Layla asked seeing the scowl in Atsuko's face.

"You know where Benji is?" Atsuko asked seriously. "Isn't Goshujin-sama on his office or bedroom?" Layla replied, she last saw Benji in his office, but that was one hour earlier. "I have been there." Atsuko answered, Layla taps her chin confused, letting go of the door and looking at the blonde, that raised questions, but if Benji left a message would be send by the girls on the gate and everyone would know that.

"Maybe he is with Maria." Layla said in a casual tone. "She was talking of how badly she wanted to tell him everything that happened on the past months." Atsuko knew that Layla was telling the truth, Maria was talking about that since Benji returned, and that Layla wasn't lying in not seeing Benji, Atsuko and Layla came to terms with each other, they even became friends. "Well I will look for him some more." Atsuko said with a sigh. "If you see him message me."

Layla nodded and decides not to ask about why Atsuko is looking for Benji, it seemed private enough for her to just give her fellow lover privacy. Atsuko walks away and moves to Maria's room, it was the most likely place for the little blonde to be, that if she wasn't in the gardens.

Half an hour later Atsuko was starting to get really worried, Benji was nowhere to be found and she had looked all over the castle for him, even the tower where he and Layla first had sex on. And that caused most of the girls to look for their once again missing leader.

"Benji!" Atsuko shouted on the halls, maybe he was in a secret room and lost track of time. "What?" Benji called coming out from the male bath's changing room. Atsuko turns around shocked, of all the places for him to be he was in the bath?! For sure she didn't look there.

"Well as long he isn't missing I guess that is fine." Jannine commented, it was a relieving to find him, but at the same time they all felt silly for forming a search party to look for him. "You were there all this time?" Atsuko asked seriously. "It has been a while since I last took a long soak." Benji answered, proof to that point is that his hair was still damp.

"You idiot…" Atsuko whimpered while lightly hitting Benji on the chest, leaning against him, she was truly worried about him, no one actually blamed Atsuko it was natural for them to accept that misunderstanding after Benji was missing for so long. Atsuko just stays close of him, lightly pounding on his chest while Benji is clearly confused about everything, but is taking it as it comes. "You big idiot…"

Benji leads Atsuko to his room where they could have some privacy to talk. "What happened?" Benji asked worried, Atsuko was a strong woman and pretty collected, not easily shaken by things, so he was surprised in seeing her tears. "I thought that you were gone…" Atsuko whispered with her face buried on his chest. "I looked all over for you but you weren't there."

Benji hugs Atsuko and caresses her hair, after his disappearance it was clear that the possibility of him disappearing scared her a lot, and Benji decided to not tell Atsuko that one day he might just disappear and never return again, at least not while this pain was still so fresh on her.

Atsuko just let herself to be weak, she was strong in every other time, for everyone else, but she also wanted, at some times, to be weak, comforted, to be make safe by others, since always she was a child after her village was destroyed she made herself to be strong, so she just holds Benji and cry.

Deep down Atsuko thought that in the end this incident wasn't all that bad as the fear made herself able to cry her worries and be honest with her lover, softening her hardened self a bit more.

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Half an hour earlier

Benji is looking at a long black haired woman wearing a hooded cloak with the hood pulled back; standing on the surrounding wall of the male's bath Benji gazes at the woman who stands on a tree branch a little bellow the wall. "I hate when I am right like this." Benji said in an annoyed tone, with his hands on his pants' pockets.

"Wanting or not politics move the world." The woman replied casually. "But I have to admit that I am pretty impressed with the fact that you foresaw a conspiracy like that, a high level one above everything." "It wasn't all that hard; I knew that my own growth and my guild's growth would scare a lot of people in high places." Benji commented. "People in those places will do everything to remain there, and those bellow will do anything to get there."

"Either way with death of those leaders most conspiracies will die, as well incidents like Lacey's." She said seriously, in Benji's absence she learned that the whole Lacey incident was orchestrated by those guilds and some nobles connected to them. "The confusion on the guild and the court will be enough to keep them busy for months."

"Thank you and once again sorry for making you do this." Benji thanked to the woman honestly. "You are sure that you don't want to come? I am sure that the others will want to see you Yuma."

Yuma shakes her head denying. "I told you this before; I don't think that I can blend with them." Yuma answered seriously. "I know that isn't Erika's or Layla's fault that we got captured, but I still can't forgive them for partying with those of the Wasted Years, as much as I know that I still can't forgive them, living as an assassin in the shadows is good enough for me."

"That isn't a pleasant life I have been there, you know it?" Benji replied. "Being alone isn't good for you." "I don't think that I can be with anyone." Yuma said seriously and looking away, knowing that he was worried made her feel warm, but at the same time she wanted to get away afraid of getting hurt.

Benji sighed and pulls something from his pocket. "I was saving this for Maria." Benji said while throwing a grapefruit sized egg to Yuma. "What is this?" She exclaimed a bit startled. "A lunatic egg." Benji answered. "Many people forgot or don't even know but animals, well maybe some of them can offer comfort for a tormented heart. If you can't accept humans maybe a bunny will help. Though if I found would I would give you a cat."

Yuma smiled and hugs the egg, feeling its warmth and the faint pulse of the sleeping lunatic inside. "This it good." Yuma whispered. "Thank you." "You are welcome." Benji replied. "Just keep in touch. A PM or a letter now and then, and don't forget, you can always find a place here, we won't let you down. Whenever you feel like you can come visit us." Yuma nods and leaves in a teleport.

Benji sighed and stretches. 'I guess that it paid to send Yuma to infiltrate in that guild.' Benji thought while jumping from the wall to the floor of the bath area, landing smoothly on his feet. Who would know that she would get that high on it? Anyway since I am here a soak wouldn't hurt…'

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It was morning of day four, Benji deemed eighty percent healed was cleared to have moderate amounts of sex, while Benji was happy with that, and his lovers don't know that he is cleared to do so, Benji had isolated himself from everyone, seeking solitude to think, meditating near a cascade deep inside what Benji called reverse castle.

At the same time Atsuko was looking for Benji again, he was a bit distant during breakfast, so Atsuko wanted to offer an ear if he wants to talk about his problems, but she only finds a note on his bed telling that he was inside the castle pondering on things. Not wanting to start another futile search party Atsuko looks for Benji on her own, letting everyone doing their business.

Elle was worried about Benji, but not as Atsuko is, now that Benji was well enough to have sex she wanted that sperm sample from him, her fears about their fertility were bigger than she let Benji know about it, she wanted to know really badly.

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Benji sighed annoyed; he knew that meditation wouldn't help at all. "How the fuck I get rid of this feeling?" Benji muttered while looking at the waterfall basin. "There wasn't this meditation on a waterfall thing in anime? Well I guess that is worth the shot." With that Benji takes out his boots and socks before entering on the basin.

Ten minutes and several surprise dives in underwater holes later Benji is standing under the waterfall, the water hitting on his head, shoulders and back hard and mercilessly. 'Yes I can feel it, finally a good water pressure.' Benji thought with a smile, sure it was stronger than a strong shower, but he took much harder hits than that in the past, however he could understand how standing on the cold water like that would help him. Trying to clear his mind Benji focuses on how drive the building impulses of being in lack of better term, evil.

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Two hours had passed since she started to look for Benji, and Atsuko was starting to get really annoyed, she is with a bad feeling about his sudden distant mood. She stops moving when feeling a soft draft, she was too deep inside the castle to get a draft, true the castle had a good ventilation, but she is on the lowest of the two underground levels of the castle, unless there was a storm outside there shouldn't be moving air there.

Following the wind Atsuko reaches a wall, running her fingers on the smooth and polished stone she finds that the draft is coming from between the stones, looking for any kind of trigger Atsuko pushes and touches the wall, until a section of the wall opens revealing a secret hallway.

With a deep breath Atsuko enters on the well lithe hallway, she was surprised, the hallway was just like the ones in the castle, but she as she walks she notices that the draft is coming from bellow. After long twenty minutes she finds out why, when she reaches what was the fifth lowest level of the castle and finds a window.

What Atsuko sees is a vast field, what in the castle would be the inner garden in this one was a field several times bigger than the garden, but as beautiful as the garden, lithe by a mysterious glowing stone from the ceiling. At distance Atsuko could hear a waterfall; the air was cold, but not too cold, refreshingly cold.

As she explores this secret castle she finds signals that it was used, as the halls being too clean to be something that was left empty for almost one year. A small sound catches Atsuko's ears, she stops moving and turns her head around trying to hear it again, straining her ears she can hear a distant voice, she walks towards it, knowing that it might be Benji, if isn't she can fight it, and if she can't defeat it she can just teleport away to safety.

As she moves closer to the voice's origin she realizes that in the upper castle she would be heading to Benji's office. "Care for wine master?" Atsuko heard a feminine voice asking to someone. "It is too early for wine." She heard a voice that she knows that is Benji's answering. "But I will have some; I could use something stronger than juice right now."

Atsuko marches to the doors and opens it, she is surprised in seeing a large group of females around Benji, one with an empty tray standing next to Benji who is sited on an ebony colored throne. Atsuko knew just then that those females aren't human but monsters and that Benji holding a goblet of dark red wine while sitting there as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

End of the chapter thirty:

Author explanation corner:

Sora: I was going to show how she does that, but after two battle tunned chapters I got tired of the violence, so this part which would be the climax of the whole fight ended this way, I had so much that I wanted to put down, but in the end I just removed from it. I will explain how a blind girl can be an excellent sniper later.

Suzuka: She is from a forgotten class similar to dancer, but as show more powerful. For lack of a proper name her class can be called dancer or performer, by using her dance she can control those who watch to follow her movements, that is only one of her powers (I don't know from where it came, but an image of cheerleader also popped on my head aimed for her), anyway her dances can do more than just control people.

Tsurugi no mai: It means or it should mean 'dance of the sword', it is a dance that control the enemy, by making the enemy move as the dancer wishes the dancer can kill many people with it, it has a large SP consumption and cool off time after the execution, hence Suzuka fanning herself and falling back after performing.

Elle: As said earlier she is a healer, all her skills are for healing or defending, she is from the real world as well, a senior on medical school she has knowledge of medicine that gives her chosen class even more efficiency, she also acts as a doctor, treating anyone who needs a more advanced medical care when compared to healing and stuff.

As a doctor to be Elle has a more clinical eye about the powers and effects caused by living in Rune, needless to say that Benji became her favorite subject with his infusion of a demonic arm.

Purple potion: Since Marisa is something like an alchemist she made a mix up of herbs and stuff to make a more efficient medicine to be drunk after long battles to replenish worn out warriors, and that is the purple potion, in game terms it heals 10 percent of the max HP and SP by dose.

Saki: I know the dehorning was torture, but I believe that was close to what it should be, I did cut my share of horns from calves in the past, I lived in a farm for one year when I was a teen, I dehorned and branded calves, it was a interesting experience, in a farm school years later I used my previous experience to aid the teacher in a demonstration of dehorning…a less strong guy burned my knuckle when cauterizing the horn…well anyway I know what I wrote, while the whole cutting skin and pulling was an stretch (pun not intended).

Mai: Yup that is right boys she has a penis half of the time. As I mentioned before futanari is a term that means dickgirls in Japanese hentai manga terms, anyone who looked for it learned it. I won't get in details now but Mai was infused with that by a controlling parasite, I will tell the tale in another chapter, all that is need to know that her original body and personality exists among a cursed hermaphrodite body and a second personality, the loudmouth and annoying one. Well Mana is just a naughty curious girl who thought that having a penis would be interesting.

Yuma: She was the woman last scene of the last chapter, originally she was member of Layla's and Erika's party, a friend of the duo, but unlike the others she couldn't just forgive and forget all that easily (everyone copes in different ways), while knowing that Erika and Layla aren't the ones to blame, she still can't get along with them, as they were the ones who invited a group of Wasted Years to the party and got them caught by them. She knows in her mind and heart that they aren't to be blamed but part of her blames them, to avoid problems she isolated herself from others.

And she is the only original assassin from the guild other than Benji who was in the original group who was rescued. Out of appreciation Yuma still talks with Benji and acts on his orders, but she isn't part of the guild, at least officially, and other than Benji and Leona she is the only assassin in the guild.

I threw the lunatic egg because I thought that would be too sad to leave her to suffer alone. A pet can really make a difference when you are alone, I know it isn't a excuse for not giving her a pet earlier, I admit that she is a brand new character who is 'old' in the story timeline, besides if I gave her the pet earlier it wouldn't be the same.

Reverse castle: A underground castle build bellow the Silver Moon castle, a not so exact copy of the castle, before anyone shouts that WoE castles doesn't have a mirrored underground self I want to remember that this isn't your average WoE castle, besides I needed a place to store all the slaves when not using them. As much as I want it I can't just place them on shelves in my bedroom.


	32. Sire

Hi this is Benji Himura I am starting a new fanfic

Hi this is Benji Himura I am starting a new fanfic. I don't own Ragnarok online I also don't own the characters of that story or the plot; taking out the changes that I will make and the characters that I will create. I own Benji Himura and others characters that will show up in the story. It might be violence and sex in the story so if you are underage of seventeen are warned the content might be too improper to your age. Read by your own will and risk. In anyway enjoy the story.

Signed: Benji Himura

"Text" Talked sentences.

'Text' Thoughts.

-Text- Sounds effects.

(Text) Talked sentences in a foreign language

: Text: Messages show in an electronic screen or written.

**Text**: something being recalled, flashbacks, scenes being replayed.

_Text_: a detail found in a location, scene, person, recording and images that originally wasn't there.

Chapter thirty one: Sire

"Benji what the hell is going on?!" Atsuko exclaimed, jealous of the female monsters around Benji. "I was meditating and decided to take a break." Benji answered, he was a bit surprised in seeing Atsuko on the underground castle, but not enough to shock him. "And what are those?" Atsuko asked pointing to the monsters around him.

"Slaves." Benji answered. "I know I have to explain myself." Benji sips his wine while Atsuko takes a deep breath. Benji places the goblet on the tray that the maid clad girl was wearing and then stands up. "Let's take a walk." Benji said to Atsuko, the blonde nod and walks next to Benji.

"What is going on Benji?" Atsuko asked worriedly. "Why you were down here with those monsters? And why you call them slaves?" "Because they are slaves." Benji answered as they walk on the empty halls. "Much before I created the guild or even met you I had this skill."

Benji pauses and shows to Atsuko the skill pad. "Tentacle…" Benji pulls the pad from her hands and flips the page. "Wrong one." Benji said embarrassed. "Ignore the previous one." Atsuko eyed Benji suspiciously but agrees. "Dollification?" Atsuko reads on loud. "Is that even a word?"

Benji shrug unsure of that himself. "Anyway with that skill I can turn any monster that I kill in a doll." Benji explained the effect. "But it isn't just a doll like that poring doll, it is a doll that houses a copy of the soul of the monster that was killed, and more than that I can control the doll and summon it as a monster when I wish."

"So those monsters are dolls?" Atsuko asked confused. "Originally yes." Benji answered. "But I gained another skills, bound slave and summon slave, bound slave allows me to capture any monster and turn it into a slave, summon slave allows me to summon it, just like an MVP does. Of course that isn't that simple."

Atsuko eyes Benji with wonder on her eyes. "You mean that all those are slaves that you can call to battle?" Atsuko asked. Benji nodded confirming. "But they aren't loyal; I mean before I can summon them I have to break them." Benji explained. "Train them to obey orders and bound them for good as slaves. Other than Yami everyone that you saw are already loyal to me."

"What about Saki?" Atsuko asked curious. "She is a pet." Benji answered. "It is a whole different rank, but I admit that I have a slave or two that I might be promoting as pet, but I am not doing because they are strong and I like being able to summon them in an emergency."

"And why you haven't told us about them and this castle?" Atsuko asked seriously. "You didn't need to know." Benji answered. "This castle isn't something that should be widely know, neither are my slaves. Besides who you think that clean the brunt of the castle?"

"You mean that you use slaves to clean the Silver Moon?" Atsuko asked surprised, she never saw that. "Whenever everyone is sleeping I order my Alices to clean the castle." Benji explained. "Mostly on those late hours of the night when everyone is sleeping soundly."

"No wonder keeping the castle clean became harder when you left." Atsuko sighed, she was a bit surprised with how easy it was to keep the castle clean with Benji there and how it was when he wasn't around, and she could understand that telling to everyone about the secret castle would be bad; this kind of secret fortress should remain that, a secret fortress.

Atsuko was starting to understand the magnitude of some secrets in Benji's life as well the fact that he goes really out of his way to make things comfortable for those on his guild. "Okay." Atsuko said moving ahead of Benji and touching his cheek with her hand gently, halting their walk completely. "And why you were down here? And why I get this vibe that something is really wrong?"

Benji looks at his worried lover, he wanted to sigh but he can see on her eyes that she was honestly worried about him, and only adventured this down on the reverse castle that as far as she knew could be as dangerous as a high level dungeon, for his sake. "I wanted to see if I could get rid of this feeling." Benji answered seriously.

"What kind of feeling?" Atsuko asked, maybe she could help if he told her about. "It is hard to define." Benji explained. "I am classifying as 'evil', seeing a woman's scared face is stirring things on me that I would prefer that didn't exist. And the fact that I am this strong doesn't aid with it, it only makes it worse as I know that I can do whatever I want, and later either get away with it or kill my way out of it."

Atsuko could understand it, she knew that power was an awfully seductive thing, it can corrupt quite easily, the fear part was a bit odd, but recalling how the girls looked when scared of him she kind could of understand, they looked beautiful in this unique way.

And Atsuko knew that Benji's pent up lust is just adding to that fire, it is screaming for release in any way that is possible, being consented lovemaking with a lover or forcefully taking a random girl, and she can tell that it scares him, that he most likely left to clear his mind, afraid that soothing his lust now would make things worse.

Atsuko hugs Benji and kisses him passionately, for her the situation wasn't all that different from how he was when they first met, she could tell that Benji was hanging on something, thought then she didn't knew what it was, and on her theory a good round of steamy sex would cure him, it did wonders in the last time.

"I know what you need." Atsuko whispered against his lips. "Let's move to somewhere more private. You know that we both need and want this." Benji couldn't disagree with Atsuko on that. "Or you wanted someone else?" Atsuko asked a bit worried, the downside of having multiple lovers is that Benji could be feeling like being with someone else.

"Not at the moment." Benji answered pulling Atsuko closer, letting her feel his desire against her body, and she shivers when feeling it against her. Smiling at Benji she kisses him again, that little reassurance made wonders for her. After pulling away Atsuko let's Benji lead her to a private area, what she wasn't expecting was to see this small little room, at the tops a two by two by three and a half meters tall room, sure the room was large enough to them to lie down on it, but was too small for what she thought that they would be doing.

With a cute little yelp and clinging on Benji Atsuko felt the room moving. "What is going on?!" Atsuko asked scared. "Is a quake?" "No." Benji answered holding Atsuko and running her fingers on her hair. "This is an elevator, it isn't a common machine here, but it is a transportation device that takes you up and down, think as a better version of stairs."

Atsuko felt safer while being held, and tries to understand Benji's explanation. "So this room is moving?" Atsuko asked. Benji nodded confirming. "Yes, it is taking us to the upper castle." Benji answered. "It won't take long. Just a couple minutes." Still wary Atsuko clings on Benji, seeing him so sure about things and confident ease her, he was calm so the thing must be pretty safe to use.

And as promise a couple minutes later the room stops moving, Atsuko sees Benji opening the door and they are in a room filled with weapons, armors and other items. "Where are we?" Atsuko asked while they leave the elevator. "My secret closet." Benji answered while turning a discreet handle in a wall, to Atsuko's surprise she sees that it leads to Benji's closet and that means that they are on his bedroom.

Retracing their steps on the reversed castle she realizes that the room with the elevator was placed where Benji's room should be. "This whole castle is rigged with secret stuff isn't it?" Atsuko asked seriously. "Yes." Benji answered. "There are a lot of secret rooms and halls on it. But only four elevators connecting the castles, the main access point is on the second basement."

Atsuko knew about that one, it was the one that she used to find the castle. She decides to ask about serious things later, she has more important things on her mind in the moment, making sure that the door is locked and the room is empty with anyone other than them Atsuko walks back to Benji and kisses him again, he wasn't the only one with nine months worth of pent up lust and desire.

As Benji Atsuko was pretty used in having sex in a daily basis, all of his lovers other than Erika were, so those nine months were torture for them. Not wasting too much time in foreplay the duo shed their clothes, discarding them on a pile on the floor before moving to the bed to advance on their 'catching up'.

While Benji wanted to just pounce on Atsuko and start the action, he controlled himself, the idea of savoring the opportunity was more enticing, plus food is always tasty when you are really, really hungry.

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Layla sighed annoyed, she was mad at herself for not going look for Benji with Atsuko, when moving to Benji's room to ask his opinion on something she heard the cries of pleasure from the blonde, Layla wasn't mad at Benji or Atsuko, but at herself on missing the chance of being with him, plus she was now jealous and horny.

'I knew that I should have gone with Atsuko when she was looking for Benji.' Layla thought while soaking on the women's cold spring to lower her libido. 'I wanted be the first one to make love to him…mou…I lost the chance badly…well at least I know that Goshujin-sama recovers fast, maybe even today I will make love with him.'

That thought brought a smile on her lips, as Atsuko she also missed Benji, even the escapades with Erika did little to settle that fire on her, it was just like throwing cold water in a pot of boiling water, it just stalls the boiling.

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"Ready for more?" Benji asked to Atsuko, he was nowhere near satisfied, he was satisfied, but he could me more satisfied. "You bet." Atsuko answered with a smile. "This time I am on the top." With those words they roll over and she sits on top of him. "You aren't the only one with nine months of pent up desire. I will be claiming it all now." "I will be more than happy on paying." Benji replied adjusting his position so he is sitting with his back against the headboard. "Good." Atsuko purred.

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It was mid afternoon and Benji and Atsuko are still in bed, while they could still do more they didn't want more, at least for now. Atsuko was happy and pleased, nestled on Benji's arms, her womb overflowing with Benji's essence. Benji was happy in holding Atsuko, and that the evil thing that was bothering him just went away after they made love, perhaps was only his lust speaking and not a true evil.

Both of them would gladly remain like that longer, but Atsuko's stomach growled complaining that she is hungry and needs to eat after the work out, and Benji's stomach replied to that with a growl. "I guess that we both agree that we have to leave the bed to get some food right?" Benji asked to Atsuko in a teasingly tone.

"As much as I don't want to, we have to eat, we did burn a lot of calories." Atsuko answered not really willing to let go, but knowing that she and especially Benji needs to eat getting on their clothes they leave the bedroom, Atsuko holding on his arm pleased, her hips was hurting a bit, it had been too long and they were a bit rough, but it was a nice kind of hurting.

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It took some talking and convincing, as well a fake rattle to appease Haruka who was the one protesting, but Benji came with a compromise and schedule to be with his other lovers, to be totally fair with everyone it would start in two days so Atsuko could have as well a whole day for herself, then it would be Layla's day followed by Haruka's and closing the week would be Erika.

That doesn't prevent Benji from getting his silver haired lover and taking her to her bedroom so she could have some of the edge removed before her day, he would do the same with Haruka and Erika, it wouldn't be fair just do it with Atsuko. So at dinnertime Benji was tired, with his hips and back hurting, but well satisfied, enough to give Elle a sperm sample that Haruka was kind enough to help to acquire. With that done Benji returns to his bedroom with Atsuko for some rest and fun later.

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"Well all that fooling around with your lovers put your healing back in several days." Elle said to Benji, he does look a bit tired, but his aura was calm and serene, while tiresome the past days were very satisfying. "Having a harem takes more work than most males realize." Benji commented on his office's chair.

"That because you are a considerate lover and tries to make them happy." Elle commented, she doesn't really care about that, she could see that the girls were happy and so was Benji, so she was fine with that polygamist relation, plus it wasn't all that uncommon there. "Most males doesn't care and seek only for their own pleasure and happiness, you don't. Anyway you are in eighty percent recovered, now if you take easy for the next couple days your body will be fully recovered and you will only have to suffer from the drawbacks from your watch."

"After those days we have eased the months without sex, so we will settle in the old routine." Benji replied sipping some orange juice. "I was curious about this." Elle said from her chair across the desk. "How you deal with the daily needs and select with who you will sleep with?"

"We have more than a handful escapades during the course of the days, this desk house a lot of them." Benji answered resting the glass over the desk. "Those are a bit random, depends of the mood, either I pull one of them close or they sit on the desk or on my lap and drop a not too subtle hint. If they aren't on the mood they let me know, most of the times when that happen they are actually the ones to call one of the others and let them know that I want some attention."

"So you juggle the attention?" Elle asked. "A bit, but isn't just like that." Benji answered. "We come to an agreement in a week in four days one of them have to sleep with me alone, that depends on mood, mine or theirs, small events and stuff like that, in two days I can sleep by myself if I feel like, but most of the time I call one or two of them on those nights again it comes to mood, and on the seventh it is everyone on the same bed, it gets a bit crowded but we get the hang of that, and that is why is only once in the week."

"And if the girl that you choose isn't in the mood to sleep with you?" Elle asked. "Well I must say that it never happened." Benji answered, he wasn't really surprised at that, a relation like theirs Benji's affections and attention was divided by four so they are quite happy in taking every extra bit that he hands out. "Plus they know that if she isn't on the mood other will be more than glad to pick up the slack, and other than Atsuko who normally is pretty confident about our relation and Erika who doesn't really care, so whenever it is Erika Layla is with us."

"What you mean that she doesn't really care?" Elle asked, that sound a very odd thing for a lover to say or do. "Erika is bi." Benji explained. "She is on the relation to with Layla, I am a bonus for her, it is almost the same with me, thought around thirty percent of the time we have sex alone."

"So you were a typical male and just accepted another woman in the group?" Elle asking raising an eyebrow. "Not really, when I started having relations I was in doubt, I had feelings for Layla and Atsuko, well with Atsuko it was a bit confused at the time." Benji explained. "Layla broke on my damaged walls, well she was so cute in the tower in the way that she acted and spoke, anyway in the next day she said that she was ready and willing to share me with others, and that polygamy was a common thing here in Rune, and as long she could be with me she would be happy, Atsuko also agreed with that, so did Haruka, well Erika was just the last straw, I had said to myself that if any other woman asked to have sex with me and agreed to share me with others and have a polygamous relation I would take as a signal from heaven to have sex with as many girls that I can and offer themselves to me. So I pretty much settled with polygamy, I can't deny that now and then having a monogamist relation would be good, sometimes it too tiresome, but now I am used and look forward for it."

Elle wanted to contest at his logic, but she really can't, on her days on the Silver Moon castle she saw that more than few girls there would willingly join the group of Benji's lovers, but they are too afraid of being rejected to try, as Benji never slipped to them that he was open for more relations.

And Elle was a bit jealous of Benji, he was there for a little more than one year and found people who loved him, she was there for more than six years and still hasn't found anyone that she would have a relation with, sure she had casual sex now and then, but it wasn't the same.

"Anyway enough about your love life." Elle said seriously. "I was studying that sperm sample of yours." Benji straightens himself to hear what she has to say. "While I am not an expert." Elle continued. "In my opinion the sample was filled with healthy sperm cells, in crude terms they were swimming strongly and happily. So for all that we can tell in that exam you are pretty much fertile and with all that unprotected sex that you are having I am surprised that you haven't knocked up anyone by now."

Benji too was surprised, but he chalked that as luck or some mysterious medicine that he doesn't know about that his lovers might be taking. "This isn't an easy request." Elle said seriously. "But there is something else that it needs to be attempted." "And that is?" Benji asked seriously.

"You impregnating a drifted female." Elle said seriously. "WHAT?!" Benji exclaimed, he wasn't ready for fatherhood, he doesn't even know if he wants a child. "I know I said that wasn't easy." Elle replied. "But all that we proved is that drifted males are still able to reproduce, I just can't harvest eggs you know? So the only way for us to learn that is for a drifted female to get pregnant."

"Even if that is true I am not sure if they would want that." Benji said seriously. "Haruka is hardly seventeen, Maria is way too young, I don't know or like Aysu enough to do it with her, Junko pretty much want to skewer and roast my balls, and I am damn sure that Makie would flatly deny."

Elle sighed. "In case that you forgot I am also a drifted female." Elle pointed out in a flat tone. "And I am almost thirty five, unless I find someone soon I won't be able to start a family, plus I don't even know if I can get pregnant. I don't want to suffer a break up of being abandoned because the man that I married can't have children because of me."

"But I don't like you that way and I don't want a kid right now." Benji said seriously. "My life is enough of a mess in the way that is right now." "Well actually it isn't like I really need you anymore for that." Elle said in a clinical tone. "I just used a teaspoon worth of sperm for the test, and you handed me a half filled glass, so I had more than enough."

Elle notices the cold and dangerous glean on Benji's eyes. "Easy! I didn't do that." Elle said quickly. "While I could I haven't, mostly because it would be useless I am not on the fertile period. But you hate me so much for wanting to know?" "Look I like you but not like that." Benji said seriously. "And I don't like the idea of having a kid that I haven't helped making, or even having a kid that I don't know about. If you want to get yourself pregnant do it with someone else."

Elle sighed inwardly, but doesn't really blame Benji on that, she would be mad if someone used her eggs like that, and she is not sure if she would just find a way to abort the pregnancy if learning that she can get pregnant, so she decides on letting the subject drop.

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Erika looks at Benji from her bedroom bed, he is sitting on the open window and looking at the night, she stretches lightly still feeling the lingering pleasure from an evening of sex. "What is wrong?" Erika asked while sitting up on the bed. "While we aren't all the serious I don't really like being left alone after sex." She added the last part as teasing; she could tell that he was in a serious mood.

"I am thinking about things." Benji answered. "Erika there is something that I need to talk to you." "I get it, this is the last time that we will have sex." She said in a casual tone. "I was kind of expecting it, it must be hard to keep four lovers pleased. I don't mind."

"It isn't that." Benji replied seriously. "But you think so lightly of this relation?" Erika could tell that she hurt Benji's feelings; she knew that he was putting a good amount of heart and feeling on their relation. "I didn't meant like that." Erika said seriously. "I love you Benji, I really do, but it isn't in the same intensity as Layla or Atsuko, I will do anything that you tell me, even if is to back away, while it would hurt me being told that I would accept and it wouldn't devastate me as it would happen to Layla or Haruka. I would just be content in watching from afar, well and maybe being with Layla now and then."

"I guess that I shouldn't be really surprised." Benji commented. "I mean since day one you said that you were here mostly for being with Layla than with me, I thought that I was growing on you since this whole day it was just you and me, Layla wasn't with us once."

"You are, but I respect your decisions, being that whatever you chose, having me close or away." Erika said honestly. "But if wasn't that then what you wanted to tell me that made you that serious? You aren't going to break up with Layla or one of the others are you?" Benji denies, it wasn't that.

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Erika doesn't know what to do, sure it was still her day with Benji but what he told her was too much for her to process, thinking while sitting all by herself in the dinning hall gets a lot of attention, to make things worse Benji told her to not tell anyone about it, not even Layla.

And Layla did ask to her friend what was wrong, but Erika just told that was something serious that she couldn't talk about it. This of course triggered this. "Did Goshujin-sama told you that he won't be with you anymore?" from Layla. "No." Erika said in a flat tone. "Why when something is serious the first thing that we think is that Benji is doing something?"

"Because most of the time is true." Layla replied. "And for your be like that it would have to be something really serious since we were released you got really happy-go-lucky attitude and nothing would make you get like this." Erika couldn't deny that, after they were freed she changed her attitude, she was given a whole new chance and a life of freedom was something too wonderful to be wasted with depression and negative energy

Benji enters on the dinning hall wearing black shoes, black trousers, a black long sleeve and tall collar t-shirt. "Sage I need you to do something for me." Benji said to the older man. "Whatever you need." Sage replied standing up; he catches a bag that Benji throws to him.

"I need you to sell that stuff." Benji said seriously. "I rated that is worth fifty billions. I am not expecting anything bellow fifty five." "Yes sir." Sage replied with a grin, he opens the bag and smells the content. "Is this?" "Yup." Benji answered. "The small bag inside that one is for you to seed back in the greenhouse. I have plans for them, so take good care of them."

"You can bet that I will." Sage replied with his smile even wider. "With a houseful of this we will be well off." "And that is part of my plan." Benji commented. "Now hurry I need that money, and you can take five percent for the group." Sage nodded understanding, it was a fair cut since he was going to sell, and since Benji was the one who got the pepper he wouldn't ask for more, besides it was more than enough money.

"Mama I also need you to do something." Benji said while moving to the kitchen. "I need you to sell all this stuff here."

Everyone in the hall heard the sound of a bagful of weapons being thrown in the floor. "Sure thing." Mama replied, she knew that if Benji was asking he had a serious reason. "As soon I am done washing the dishes I will go." Benji nodded and leaves the kitchen. "Mutsumi are not supposed to leave the castle until I say that you can." Benji said to the ninja princess while walking out of the dinning hall. "I have plans for you."

Mutsumi is nervous and unsure of what he means for that, it couldn't be all that nice, he was too serious to be something nice. "Anyway I am leaving for a while I will be back in few hours." Benji said to Erika. "You know what to do." Erika nodded in silence while Benji walks away from the dinning hall.

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Layla was really annoyed, Erika told that she wasn't allowed to tell what is going on and why Benji left like that. Layla knows that Benji just gave out several weapons of his own private arsenal to Marisa sell; it was easy to tell that something wasn't right. Atsuko was also very uneasy about the events, while Erika didn't forbade anyone from leaving the castle she hinted that they weren't supposed to leave, and that was enough to keep everyone indoors.

For Atsuko and Layla it felt odd that Benji would trust a secret only to Erika and not tell anyone about it, but above everything was the direct command for Mutsumi not leave the castle as he had plans for her, but they could only wonder what is going on and what Benji is about to do.

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Tomotaka wasn't expecting to see Benji, he did heard about his return and Mutsumi had informed him that Benji was currently recovering from his journey, so when Benji asked for an audience he was truly surprised, especially when seeing that Benji didn't brought only Mutsumi with him, but five more women, four of them carrying two palanquins in pairs, not the type to carry people on, but to carry cargo, on this case something under two sheets.

Tomotaka and Hiromi looks at Benji and his entourage, Benji was clad in the same outfit that he wore in the dinner when Mitsumi became part of his guild, Mutsumi was wearing a formal kimono, not a royal or noble one, yet very formal and detailed, Saki was wearing a simple but still formal kimono, while the four others are wearing the same outfit. Tomotaka knew that the visit wasn't a casual one.

Benji formally sits in the floor in a traditional Japanese way and is followed by the others, after few formalities as thanking for the audience Benji looks at Tomotaka. "One hundred and seventy five billions." Benji said while raising his hand, at the signal Chris, all the four of her uncover one of the palanquins revealing on it a large pile of gold, silver, bags of coins and gems. "Seventy five billions more than the amount that you invested in the Silver Moon castle."

"And what is the meaning of that amount?" Tomotaka asked seriously, while guessing what it would be. Benji's lips moved to a small smile. "I want to buy the castle and the area around it." Benji answered. "What else?"

End of the chapter thirty one:

Author explanation corner:

About this chapter: Well the chapter was supposed to be longer, I did removed a lot of sex scenes so I could post it on this site, the reverse castle scene didn't came as I wanted either, I just couldn't make the scene that I had in mind come to the paper as I wanted. So I took time before deciding to post this chapter.

Reverse castle: As mentioned before a not so identical copy of the Silver Moon castle, a underground fortress inside a fortress, it also poses as a nice spa/hotel thanks to the underground garden and other parts to be explored later, and the reason why building the castle was so expensive 100 billions is a lot of money.

Benji's slaves: Alice and Aliza (I give myself the right of having cute maids for practical uses and fun), Zealotus, Succubus, Yami (doppelganger), Chris (race to be named), Valkyrie (not the rebirth one) and Dryad, until now those are the ones revealed, for anyone wondering Aliza is the maid from the WoE and the one who was serving wine on the end of the last chapter and beginning of this. As a MVP Benji can summon copies of the same slave if he wants to, hence the four Chris in the end of this chapter.

Dollification: Original skill, with a complex ritual that won't be detailed here Benji can turn any monster in a doll that will summon a copy of that monster, works only with monsters with human (or close to human) shape.

Well this is pretty much everything that I felt that needed an explanation on this chapter, if you have doubts about anything told in this chapter review of PM me about it and if isn't a spoiler I will gladly answer (for spoilers I will answer that is a spoiler and apologize).


	33. Time off

Hi this is Benji Himura I am starting a new fanfic

Hi this is Benji Himura I am starting a new fanfic. I don't own Ragnarok online I also don't own the characters of that story or the plot; taking out the changes that I will make and the characters that I will create. I own Benji Himura and others characters that will show up in the story. It might be violence and sex in the story so if you are underage of seventeen are warned the content might be too improper to your age. Read by your own will and risk. In anyway enjoy the story.

Signed: Benji Himura

"Text" Talked sentences.

'Text' Thoughts.

-Text- Sounds effects.

(Text) Talked sentences in a foreign language

: Text: Messages show in an electronic screen or written.

**Text**: something being recalled, flashbacks, scenes being replayed.

_Text_: a detail found in a location, scene, person, recording and images that originally wasn't there.

Chapter thirty two: Time off

Tomotaka wasn't expecting to see Benji, he did heard about his return and Mutsumi had informed him that Benji was currently recovering from his journey, so when Benji asked for an audience he was truly surprised, especially when seeing that Benji didn't brought only Mutsumi with him, but five more women, four of them carrying two palanquins in pairs, not the type to carry people on, but to carry cargo, on this case something under two sheets.

Tomotaka and Hiromi looks at Benji and his entourage, Benji was clad in the same outfit that he wore in the dinner when Mitsumi became part of his guild, Mutsumi was wearing a formal kimono, not a royal or noble one, yet very formal and detailed, Saki was wearing a simple but still formal kimono, while the four others are wearing the same outfit. Tomotaka knew that the visit wasn't a casual one.

Benji formally sits in the floor in a traditional Japanese way and is followed by the others, after few formalities as thanking for the audience Benji looks at Tomotaka. "One hundred and seventy five billions." Benji said while raising his hand, at the signal Chris, all the four of her uncover one of the palanquins revealing on it a large pile of gold, silver, bags of coins and gems. "Seventy five billions more than the amount that you invested in the Silver Moon castle."

"And what is the meaning of that amount?" Tomotaka asked seriously, while guessing what it would be. Benji's lips moved to a small smile. "I want to buy the castle and the area around it." Benji answered. "What else?"

Other than Chris and Saki everyone else was shocked with Benji's words, Mutsumi was stunned, that kind of money was three times the amount that was collected as taxes by the emperor in one year from the entire country!

Tomotaka himself was shocked, that kind of money easily represented the fortune of ancient noble families of his court. "And why should I agree with this?" Tomotaka asked seriously, not letting the confusion overcome him.

"Because a regular WoE castle isn't as elaborate as the Silver Moon." Benji answered. "With this amount you can build six WoE castles par with Prontera's and still have some billions to spare to haste the construction of them. Not to mention that this amount added with the boost of economy thanks to the last nine months more than make up for the investment to build the Silver Moon, with this you made what? Two times you invested?"

Tomotaka nodded minutely, with the money that Benji just offered the Silver Moon castle paid for itself twice, more than one a half time solely by Benji's hand. "I am sure that you understand that I just can't allow a military force with a fortress so near of my imperial city." Tomotaka said seriously.

"Unless that force is directly connected and loyal to the empire." Benji replied gesturing to Mutsumi. "This trade would directly benefit us both, I would get a stable home for those who I love and you would get an new force to rely in times of struggle and need. Of course without the need of making me part of the court."

Tomotaka weights what Benji said, the court was indeed troublesome, while emperor Tomotaka knew that he wasn't above the intrigue of the court, many lords would just love to get a chance of assassinating him, having Benji as an ally, unconnected to the court and of course close enough not only of the capital but of his family would be very benefiting.

"So you are asking for Mutsumi's hand?" Tomotaka asked seriously. "As far as the public and the court will hear about yes." Benji answered. "Of course that as far as everyone knows Mutsumi isn't a princess anymore." "But she is from noble blood." Tomotaka said with a nod. "Her mother was after all from the second purest noble breed of this empire. So no one can contest your right in gaining lands."

Only Mutsumi's strict upbringing prevented her from an outburst at the discussion, plus things were too fast for her. "As a sign of my willingness for this pact I brought a little something." Benji said gesturing again for Chris to uncover the palanquin. This time revealing several gold bars with a total of twenty onis heads over them. "A small show of my capability to take care of the land entrusted to me as well of the wife to me entrusted."

Tomotaka nodded pleased at that. "A very fitting display." Tomotaka said, onis were hard to kill and Benji just showed twenty freshly decapitated ones. "Why the gold?" "That is for the purchase of lands." Benji answered. "I also wish to buy some lands that are connected directly to a particular area."

"Ah, I remember, that farm that you have part on." Tomotaka commented, after meeting Benji few times he studied more and learned that Benji had part on a farming area. "So you intend to have that as part of your lands. Very well, it is acceptable. How much it sums?"

"Thirty billions." Benji answered. "In that amount is added Mutsumi's bride price." Tomotaka nodded, that amount was far more than needed to purchase the area. "Then let us discuss this." Tomotaka said seriously. "I am quite intrigued about this."

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Mutsumi is plainly shocked, she couldn't believe in what just had happened, Hiromi smiled gently at her sister, the maneuver impressed her a lot, even used to the court Benji's actions surprised her. "I can understand your surprise." Hiromi said to Mutsumi. "Even after this your life haven't changed at all."

"But taisho just bought me." Mutsumi replied confused. "That is what he wanted to the others believe, you are still free to find love and live the life that you wish for." Hiromi said with a smile. "And with this you can come visit us more often, it isn't a bad deal." "I can't deny that." Mutsumi commented, she knew that Benji wouldn't force her to take the obligations of a wife since she was only a hoax, but still the whole incident is making her head spin, just in the other room Benji and her father are signing the documents that would grant him the Silver Moon castle and a large portion of land in exchange of assisting the royal family.

"And this means that you won't have to fight in those horrible WoE events." Hiromi said smiling. "The castle that is now your home is your home forever and no one can take that from you and your friends." It was just then that Mutsumi realized why the maneuver, Benji was removing the castle from the WoE, as a private castle it couldn't be seized in the WoE.

But Mutsumi wonders from where Benji got that much money, he just produced two hundred and twenty five billions zeny in less than twelve hours and was using it without showing any type of second thoughts.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

On the way back to the Silver Moon Mutsumi looks at Benji meekly, for all that matters she is wed to him now, plus she always felt a little intimidated and attracted by him, all that added to her own meek nature made her even meeker. Benji in the other hand is stretching leisurely, clearly relieved of a great deal of stress. Mutsumi opens her mouth, but unsure of how address Benji she doesn't say anything.

"What is wrong?" Benji asked for the ninja princess, the carriage was small enough to notice that kind of thing. "I don't know how to address to you now." Mutsumi answered. "We are married now." "It is just for appearances." Benji said. "You can treat me as you always did. I don't intend to take you as wife and taking the acts that are implied on it if you don't want to."

"But why you proposed all this?" Mutsumi asked confused. "Because I don't like the WoE." Benji answered. "I don't want to lose the place that I came to call home in some stupid mock war. Sadly Mutsumi the only way that your father would agree in giving me the Silver Moon like this is if I proposed an alliance between him and me, and for that you are important. The court could contest the decision based in the fact that I am not natural of this land, but by taking a noble wife of this land I am considered natural of this land, and they are unable to contest my properties and your father's decision."

"Then what will happen to me?" Mutsumi asked. "I am just a pawn in this game of politics?" "A queen." Benji replied. "And you can continue to live as you did, nothing changed other than titles, you can go on with your adventurer's life, I said that I don't intend to force you to act as my wife, you only act as such when we are in court."

Mutsumi could agree with that, but part of her felt a little offended that he wouldn't force her to share his bed, that would also give her time to just think about the whole ordeal before trying to come to a decision.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Back in the castle Benji moves to his room, Mutsumi quickly moves to hers not wanting to face the others now. Saki follows Benji while everyone is pretty much confused about everything, the entire day was wrapped in mystery for them, Benji left early after giving stuff to his friends, then returned and left with Mutsumi wearing formal clothes.

Half an hour later Benji now wearing his regular clothes is in his office, Layla, Atsuko, Erika, Haruka, Makie and the inner circle members are there as well, everyone is sited in foldable chairs in front of Benji's desk. "I will make this short." Benji said to everyone. "The Silver Moon castle isn't a WoE castle anymore."

That declaration causes uproar on everyone, they can't believe on that. Benji shows to them a document. "This is the scripture of the castle, the valley and the surrounding mountains." Benji said to them. "It is in my name therefore this castle is no longer a valid WoE castle."

"How?" Jannine asked in disbelief. "This afternoon I had an audience with the emperor." Benji answered. "On it I paid him one and half time the value of this castle to make it mine." "What happens to us now?" Saya asked. "The castle is mine, so I can pretty much do whatever I want." Benji answered. "And that means keeping my guild here, look nothing changed all that much, this is our home, I just made sure that no one can take it from us."

"But how you paid for this?" Atsuko asked seriously. "This castle wasn't cheap." "I used my own money." Benji answered. "Everything that I had saved until today plus the amount that Sage and Marisa got for the goods, and some more that I got from certain things that I had stored. The guild's funds are untouched."

"We aren't worried about that." Layla said. "We don't care if the guild is penniless. What about you?" "I still have a nice amount stored." Benji answered. "Few millions in the bank, so this won't really affect me." Atsuko was pretty impressed, but wonders how much Benji really had and how he got it.

"So we don't have to fight anymore." Haruka commented. "We still have a WoE castle." Benji replied. "Anyone who wants can fight there; our home is still safe here." Now that the shock passed everyone smiled at that, they wouldn't have to worry about losing their home anymore, fearing that one day they would be thrown away from there, they would be able to live peacefully there.

The news spread quickly on the guild and the alliance, by dinnertime Mana and Shina were in the castle questioning Benji, even Juliet was there wondering what had happened. Benji just explained to them calmly, he was in a good mood because of the deal.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"I have to admit that I am impressed." Elle commented to Benji, few days had passed since the announcement that the castle wouldn't be a battlefield anymore, the mood in the castle was clearly a happy, light and cheerful one, and it showed on Benji as he was healing much faster. "How you pulled that stunt?"

"When you are killing like I am killing you tend to know people and places." Benji answered. "I did come across a good amount of treasure while traveling around." "What next?" Elle asked. "You did buy the area around the farm and that connects this place to the farm."

"We can do what we want." Benji answered. "I was thinking on expanding the castle walls a little." "You know?" Elle commented. "You just started a clan. You got a land, a castle and a group of followers." "I noticed that." Benji replied. "Well I did that a while ago, anyway I was thinking in annexing extra quarters in the south wing. Some of the girls who got fiancés also commented in looking for a place to live."

"You do have enough land to start a village here." Elle commented. "And we are far enough from Amatsu to not be an issue and close enough to be able to use some of their commodities." "It might happen but I really don't want to run a village or anything like that I have enough responsibilities now." Benji said with a sigh. "I thought in giving them a place to build a house or something nearby."

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Jannine and Saya are holding a meeting with the other guild girls, more than few of them were a bit confused about the whole thing, they got used to WoE and weren't all that willing to just stop taking part of it. "Anyone who wishes to fight in the WoE can make use of our second castle in the WoE days." Saya said to them all. "The Silver Moon is our home and won't be endangered anymore and we can all still live here."

"What about the guild?" Leona asked. "It is still a guild." Jannine answered. "We just returned to our previous state before we were given this castle, originally the guild wasn't a WoE guild, we became a WoE guild because this castle is worth fighting for." No one could deny that.

"What about our friends?" Tia a whitesmith asked to them. "We can still help them as they helped us." Jannine answered. "It is strictly voluntary unless taisho says otherwise; no one will be forced to do anything even if ordered for a serious reason. Taisho had already discussed with our allies and they agreed with this arrangement, even if is just two of us who wish to fight with them, they will take them in the WoE days, and if is truly needed we all will fight to aid our allies in an emergency."

"What we will do now?" Leona asked. "I mean I was pretty much recruited for WoE purposes." "We don't deny that you were recruited for WoE." Saya replied. "But you are part of this guild not only in WoE, if you like you can fight in our second castle, or take a break from WoE as well, there are more in life than WoE."

"I know that this is pretty intimidating it is a big change that happened too suddenly." Jannine said to everyone in a gentle tone. "But changes are good, I am sure that we all will adapt to this change, didn't we adapted to everything else until now? Why we wouldn't adapt to this?" No one could counter that argument, Jannine was right and no one could contest that.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Three months later Elle looks at Benji with a nod. "Good, the past months clearly took a lot of strain away from you." She said seriously while poking and pressing on his naked back. "The muscle tone is fine, three more months and you will be just like a new one; you even put more weight."

"My stomach finally settled with more food." Benji commented, he still wasn't eating his normal amount but he was getting around three quarters of it down without problems. "Well just keep the routine of light exercises, a closer to balanced meal considering that you are a picky eater to everything that isn't meat or carbohydrates, I will even say to keep with the regular sex routine as well." Elle said casually. "Like this in the next three months you will be back in shape one or two weeks after your watch drawbacks end and you can heal normally."

Benji nodded while putting on his pants, it was a major pain to be denied of natural healing, but it was the price to pay for the massive bonuses of his watch's activation. "So any pregnancies yet?" Elle asked casually. "Still none." Benji answered a bit relieved. "I am sure that I can't handle that above everything that I have to deal with."

Elle couldn't really contest that, in the months after his return a small settlement started to grow a little under one kilometer away from the castle in the direction of the farm, four girls from the guild who had lovers asked them to move closer of them, since Benji allowed them to use the land they moved there, even Juliet got herself a nice cabin not so far from there.

The lovers of the girls, plus some of the others' families started out a farming area in areas approved by Benji, Leona was quite glad about that and her family moved there as well and was tending the community fields among the others, as well tending a smaller private field near to their house.

Thanks to games like Caesar, Command and Conquer and others like that Benji had an idea of administration, of course he counted with Makie, Elle and the others aid to deal with everything, keeping a small friendly tax of one percent that will be given to the guild to maintain everything the settlement was happy, Benji was a kind ruler and gave them what they believed to be magic earth that made the soil fertile, the sprouts are growing strong and beautiful.

'I knew that studying in that studying agriculture would eventually pay itself off.' Benji thought when thinking about the settlement, while he got just the basic in the year that he studied he learned enough to apply in Amatsu, and unknowing to the girls is that the guild's organic trash as fruit and vegetable peels, leftovers and other food waste was being used to make fertilizer for the farm, a simple process of making compost allowed them to make the most of the land, even the ones considered unfertile.

While Benji knew that his knowledge wasn't enough to deal with everything, but speaking with seasoned farmers aided to build a good picture that covered a lot of issues and ensured a healthy crop. And that made the girls and their families happy, and if they are happy them Benji won't be bothered, so he will be happy as well, though they did got luck that the settlement started in the beginning of the spring, Amatsu's winter could be quite unforgiving.

After the checkup with Elle Benji is free to resume his regular routine, and thankfully that meant no more tasks related to the settlement or guild as they were settled in the previous day, and that mean that Benji could indulge himself on whatever he wanted. And it wasn't sex, which surprised Elle quite much, she had guessed that Benji was pretty much having sex at every moment when he wasn't doing something else.

What Benji wanted is quite simple, and honestly his lovers liked it as much as he did, he wanted a vacation and that meant that nice little private island in a secret location, for Benji it meant his lovers in nice swimsuits tanning under the sun, a pleasure that he deprived himself of in the past.

And with all moving well and peacefully no one really contested that little vacation, the brunt of the guild girls would take that time for themselves, play a little in some random city, maybe even shopping leisurely at Prontera, or just being with their loved ones. Jannine, Saya and Makie agreed in taking the role of temporary leaders and managers of the guild and the settlement while Benji and the usual ring of leaders aren't there.

Mana and Shina were a little angry that they weren't invited to that get away, but again they haven't really became Benji's lovers, it was closer to sex friends, Maria was a bit miffed at the fact that she isn't going either, but the promise from Benji of spending a day with her after it pleased her.

Layla and the others didn't protested when Benji told them that Saki would be going with them as well, along with two of his maids, for them it meant less time spent doing things as cooking and cleaning, which meant more time for being with Benji, plus they pretty much settled that Benji used them for more than that, with the amount of stamina that he had it was a welcomed thing, there was times that not even Layla couldn't keep up with him in that department.

Dante didn't took the removal of the Silver Moon all that well, he was pissed that he lost his chance to fight Benji, but again WoE was different than a duel, after some sulking Dante accepted the fact, plus Benji had a second castle, there was chances of him being there to defend it.

Helen was just surprised with it, she wasn't expecting that Benji was able to produce that amount of money, Atsuko told her that it was from his own pocket and not from the guild, which surprised her, but again she made large amounts of money easily everyday.

Yuma smiled when hearing the late news in a tavern in Geffen, it meant that the castle was safe, but it wasn't the end of the intrigue and politics, she knew that all too well, but would make Benji harder to reach than before. Gently running her hand on the soft fur of her Lunatic Yuma allows herself to wonder how it would be living there, even thought she won't.

But there was someone who wasn't pleased at all with that, King Tristan didn't supported that, but since Amatsu was an allied sovereign nation there was little that he could do, it was a legal maneuver, the Silver Moon castle was experimental, now that the trial of it was over Tomotaka could do whatever he wanted with it, even if meant selling it, the experience and the gold were used to build the official WoE grounds in a different area of Amatsu.

It was clear that Tomotaka was making his visit to Amatsu take more time to happen that Tristan liked, but he knew all too well the politics involved in such things and can't just force his way on it, especially now that Benji was directly connected to the imperial family.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"I knew that this place was great." Benji commented looking at the beach, white sand beach, crystal clear blue water, vivid green trees around the beach, the large beach house in a stone platform no more than five hundred meters away from the sand, it was a tropical paradise, with coconuts and everything!

"In the other hand this sight is even better." Benji said with a nod while looking at his swimsuit clad lovers. Sure he knows every millimeter of skin of them by heart and saw them nude more times that he cared to count, but as anyone knows nudity isn't the ultimate peak of sexiness, Benji could see a lot of skin, yet the best parts are covered by the swimsuits.

Layla is embarrassed, Atsuko just smiles and poses a little, Haruka is adjusting her top, she was glad that it got tighter than it originally was, Erika stretches lazily foreseeing two weeks of relaxation, and there was Mutsumi who is blushing madly at her swimsuit, after much thought Mutsumi decided to take her chances as Benji's lover, needless to say that when facing the experience of Benji in that area Mutsumi's mind blew and she was out of service for a while, it was too much for the until then virgin princess.

Haruka was the one who made Mutsumi get a new swimsuit, a bikini, mostly because Mutsumi was less developed than herself and Haruka liked that, it made her feel better about her own assets. Saki in the other hand kept things simple with a one piece swimsuit that after Benji convinced her that a loincloth wouldn't work.

Aliza and Alice are wearing maid uniforms, but Benji made sure to get them summer ones, meaning short skirt, no sleeves and made of a lighter fabric, no need for his maids get a heatstroke. "If you don't mind answering this, how you got this place?" Atsuko asked to Benji a question that was bugging her for a while.

"Kind of a long story." Benji answered. "Making it short I found it on a dungeon." "How you find an island in a dungeon?" Haruka asked seriously, after everything that she saw, she wouldn't be surprised if he really did. "This island is isolated from others by magic." Benji answered. "When I went to this dungeon that I won't tell you the name or where it is, because I don't want you going there, I found a map and a item that makes me the owner of this island. I did also found a nice treasure there as well, anyway with the use of the treasure and a construction crew I had the house built in this secret island."

"That is enough for me." Layla commented. "No wonder no one knows about this place." Erika commented agreeing. "How many secret places you actually know about?" "Well a lot." Benji answered. "Let's just say that when you start doing things outside the regular areas for adventuring you learn a lot."

"Enough with this." Haruka said casually. "We are here for two weeks of relaxation under the sun." She frowns a little and looks at Benji and her fellow lovers. "If is just us here why are we wearing swimsuits?" She asked seriously. "Because I don't want sand on my ass." Benji answered. "We think the very same thing." The others agreed as one, as getting sand in their private parts would be really bad and uncomfortable.

"And my most important reason is that I like seeing you with swimsuits." Benji added. "I see you naked everyday, besides it is sexier." Atsuko and Layla nodded agreeing, while they like of the sight of Benji's naked body his swimsuit that was nothing more than a pair of loose shorts was also very interesting, sure they would have liked of something smaller and tighter, but again it was hiding very well a part of him that they liked a lot, making them imagine things.

"I guess that I can't contest that." Haruka commented. "But what about those two?" She asked pointing to the maids. "They also have swimsuits." Benji replied. "But for now they are on duty." "And it is a tad too hot and bright for us." Aliza said in a level tone, she still wasn't used to tropical levels of sunlight. Alice just blushes silently; she is much embarrassed in wearing the swimsuit than servicing Benji.

While in the beach Benji doesn't really feels like being on the sand, sure was white and not goldish yellow one was the desert sand and there was water nearby, but he still was a bit sick of sand, he would first relax in the deck under a large beach umbrella while the maids deal with the barbecue, all the time looking at his frolicking lovers, it was a good plan, they are well stocked and eventually he would feel the mood of swimming a little or playing in the water, there was plenty of time to enjoy things and take easy.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Two weeks, lots of tanning, games and fun later Benji and his pack returns to the castle, Benji was surprised in seeing that the settlement was slightly bigger than before, a quick explanation later Benji learns that other girls moved with their families or lovers there, Benji was even required to be part of the weddings, not the fancy adventuring wedding that is held in Prontera but the traditional religious wedding that was held for generations.

He doesn't really mind it, he even contacted Marisa to deal with the parties after the weddings, even took some money from the guild to help with the wedding as well as a present for the couple. Sure the parties turned into something closer to festivals every time but it was okay to celebrate it like that, the girls had many friends among the allies and outside them.

Months passed and things were quite peaceful and it seemed that the girls, especially the ones that Benji freed were moving on with their lives positively. Mana and Shina changed to the next classes, Maria and Raki changed to thief and under Alexis and Isis care were leveling smoothly.

Tsugumi and Ruri fully adapted to sunlight, while Tsugumi was openly jealous of Saki, not hiding at all her disliking of the oni woman, Saki just accepted that as rivalry, Ruri in the other hand just accepted Saki, didn't got along all that well with her, Saki was by far too polite and serious to be fun, so Ruri normally hand with more interesting people and pets.

And there was Yami, well she was still being trained, and more often that not Benji had to beat the doppelganger into shape, thought he noticed that she did it in purpose. Everyone was pretty surprised when learning that Yami was a doppelganger, after all doppelgangers are male, at least the know ones, and Yami was clearly female.

Elle was intrigued by it and was content in study the creature, too much for Yami's dismay Benji gave the thumbs up to it, isn't like Yami would die if dissected anyway. Benji explained to them that Yami claimed that doppelgangers can change sex pretty much at will, while it is normally influenced by the individual doppelganger personality, preferences and how the doppelganger sees itself in the gender, making the 'original' gender the one that fits most the doppelganger.

Though that doesn't explain how doppelgangers reproduce or why they can change sexes like that or why no one ever saw a female doppelganger, or even why doppelgangers always look like swordsmen.

"She just doesn't learn does she?" Atsuko asked when seeing a broken Yami fallen in a corner of Benji's office. "I am pretty sure that she does in purpose." Benji answered while writing something. "But she is more obedient than she used to be, so I am sure that I am in the right path."

Considering that Benji was bashing Yami's skull in or breaking her into bits every time that she misbehaves Atsuko is sure that Yami would start to listen more to what he says. "We heard some noise in the dungeon." Atsuko said to Benji seriously. "And when we opened the door there was this red head woman wearing this odd outfit who said that wanted to see you.

"You mean a woman with red hair reaching her hips, a sailor like top with a short black skirt; that looks just like human and has purple eyes?" Benji asked looking up to Atsuko. "That is the one." Atsuko answered. "You know her?" "Yes." Benji answered while putting his pen down.

"Who is her anyway?" Atsuko asked curious, the dungeon was very high level and still was out of limits to everyone of the guild. "She is the ruler of the dungeon." Benji answered while pulling a box from one of his drawers. "We kind of have a deal about things."

"What kind of deal?" Atsuko asked surprised, she never heard of someone making deals with monsters. "I helped her to get the ruling place in the dungeon and we would have a trade agreement that favors me a lot." Benji answered while standing up. "In exchange of rather cheap items for the surface that is very rare and expensive there I get back high grade weapons, gems, items and several other stuff that are rare and expensive here, but common there." Atsuko frowns a little and follows Benji, sure it sounded like a good deal, but what kind of person would start a deal with a monster? Then again Benji did…

"Yo Hime has been a while." Benji said when seeing the red head leaning on midair of the open dungeon door. "Yeah, you went missing and then don't send news here for months." She replied a bit annoyed. "We build up a lot of goods here." "I know, I know." Benji said with a smile. "I got everything as well, here are the samples."

Benji hands to her the box and she smiles opening, Atsuko peeks on it and sees nothing more than dried webfoot, roasted lizards, some beads of something, and a pair of clips. "Just great." She said with a smile. Saki arrives with a much larger box. "Everything else is in there." Benji said while Saki pushes the box through the door.

"You brought more carriers?" The red head asked. "We got a lot of stuff." Then Atsuko sees a rather long line of girls in similar clothes to the red head holding heaps of unstring bows, swords, spears, others carrying rolls of fabric in different colors, some with chests, and a group with large clay jars sealed shut.

Benji focuses, snaps his fingers and large group of Alices and Alizas appear in the hall, it takes ten minutes for the army of maids to take everything upstairs. "Come for a tea sometime." The red head said to Benji while adjusting the hair clips on her hair. "We got some new leaves." "Sure, I will drop by sometime." Benji replied. "As usual it was a pleasure seeing you Reika."

"Same here." Reika replied with a smile before leaving the door. "Okay what was that?" Atsuko asked confused. "You mean that you shut the dungeon because you have business down there?"

"Actually because is too high level." Benji answered. "But also because Reika keeps a nice little society there, look there are monsters and monsters. Some monsters are peaceful, others are violent, and others are nice people once you know them."

Atsuko can't deny that, Saki was a nice person and she is a monster. "Besides the girls would mess up with things there." Benji added. "There is this race of monsters that is nice, and there is everything else that is pretty dangerous."

"And what race that Reika monster is?" Atsuko asked. "Demon." Benji answered. "Well is it somewhere between demon and demi-human, anyway the girls could end killing someone that they shouldn't and send the dungeon amok. Besides I don't think that they would be able to deal with reds."

Atsuko was confused with the term that he used, it was clear that was some particular classification for some kind of monster that lives in the dungeon, she decides that is better let the subject die, but of course she intends to follow Benji on his excursion in the dungeon.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Benji looks around the now filled depot where his maids took the goods, by now Layla and the others learned from Atsuko about the trade and moved to see the items. Haruka curious opens one of the chests and gasped in surprised when seeing it filled with diamonds.

Every eye turns to Benji who is idly opening one of the large clay jars, he fishes a small bright red orb from it and eats it, letting out a small sound of satisfaction, then a sweet smell reaches the girls. "Cherries?" Haruka asked confused, she recognized the scent but was also different from maraschino cherries. "They are the only ones who can make them right." Benji answered licking the red liquor from his fingers.

"Forget the cherries." Atsuko exclaimed. "How and why they gave you that many diamonds just like that? Three carats diamonds above everything!" "As I said we trade." Benji answered. "What could possible be so worthy to them?" Erika asked in disbelief, the diamond chest alone must be worth several dozens millions.

"Salt." Benji answered. "One of the main things that I give them is salt, for them one barrel of salt is worth more than two barrels of diamonds." It was insane, the girls can't believe that something as minor as salt would mean so much for them, but Elle knew better, those monsters in the dungeon are confined to it, there wasn't any source of salt there and salt is important to every animal, besides what would they use those diamonds for? Still was impressive that they gave out that many diamonds, and that was only from one chest, there was eight more.

Haruka and the others find everything too absurd, there was millions if not billions worth in items in that room, Atsuko could start to understand where Benji got the massive amount that he used to purchase the castle, even if what they see are the accumulation of one year worth of goods, the months before his disappearance were more than enough to build a sizable fortune.

Layla picks one of the many swords that were stacked inside a barrel, from the style looked like a katana, but she could tell that wasn't one of those generic katanas that you can find anywhere, that katana felt by far superior, the craftsmanship was clearly simple, the sword wasn't heavily adorned or fancy, it was simple looking, concealing the sword's magnificence.

"Goshujin-sama why you asked for these weapons?" Layla asked seriously, she never saw swords like that for sale before, so he wasn't selling them. "Well I have my reasons." Benji answered not really answering anything, but Elle in the other hand understood. "You are stocking." She said seriously. "First grade, war purpose weapons, unlike the mostly generic and bad ones that are available in merchants."

Elle did figure out as Benji sighed annoyed. "Why?" Mutsumi asked, she was utterly confused with everything, the craftsmanship of the weapons there are by far superior of most of the weapon smiths of Amatsu. "Being ready never hurts." Benji answered. Elle understood that as well, Benji was taking from experience of what happened to Junko.

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After a short discussion the girls decided that was better to leave that as it was before, a secret, they examined the weapons, some of them were far too powerful to be given to the others so lightly, and the girls did recognized that some of the bows there looked just like the one that Sora uses, they saw it on action, it was better let Benji store those away wherever he stashes them.

Foodstuff where separated in what would be sold and what would be consumed by them, so it was the fabric, needless to say that the girls specially Haruka and Mutsumi were really happy in selecting the fabrics, knowing very well the gorgeous kimonos that it could be made with them.

In the end everything returned to normal, Haruka's and Mutsumi's enthusiasm seeped to the others as they also got excited with the idea of the new kimonos, since Benji allowed them to use what they liked of the fabric they enjoyed to their hearts' content.

Benji just moved to let the girls measure themselves and work on the kimonos, it would be nice to see them wearing them in the next festival, with that in mind Benji moves to the library to get a book, Saki who was used in making her own kimonos was helping the girls with measuring and everything related to that.

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"Benji-taisho we got more reports about the settlement for you to look over…" Haruka stops speaking when not seeing Benji on his office, instead an unpleased looking Makie is checking on the documents on the desk. "He ran away again?" Haruka asked to the gypsy.

"He did." Makie answered in an annoyed tone, but again she was the one who first suggested to Benji to make the settlement even before the news about the castle was one hour old, so she shouldered the blame for that and took care of the work whenever he felt like not doing so, and as she does she could fully understand why he does run away. "It is almost like when we started the guild."

Haruka could also remember that very well, whenever Benji got too tired of tanking for them he ran away to rest for a while, besides she really didn't liked the settlement idea in the first place it was too much work and responsibility, and the most important reason, it cutted on her private time with Benji.

Unfortunately as the owner and lord of the land Benji had to deal with the responsibilities of the position, or having willing or not so willing pawns to do it on his place, the pawns, in this case Makie, Elle, Erika, and sometimes Layla took the job seriously to leave the little and only the most needed to be judged by him stuff for him to do, and for Benji that means that he could afford his escapades.

And in this particular case lazing out under a cherry tree several kilometers away from the castle and Amatsu, in one of the areas out of access for adventurers, Benji enjoys the peacefulness of the area, the silence of human voices with only the sounds of nature around him, if he was able to sleep during the daytime it would be a nice time and place to take a nap, and since he actually couldn't he was just sited with his back against the trunk of the tree reading a book.

Benji wasn't the only one in a unscheduled outing in the guild, Atsuko also was out, at first she went to buy few stuff for herself and had a nice tea with Helen, but that was two hours ago, now she was back in Amatsu, actually in the out of limits area looking for Benji, Atsuko had a pretty good idea of where Benji would be, he always went there when escaping from the guild, even if was just for a short while before moving to some other place.

It was a nice pastime for her, Benji could be anywhere on his outings, she had fun looking for him in his favorite spots or in new ones, and isn't like Benji made it hard for her, knowing that normally Atsuko or Layla would try tracking him down outside he left pointers or small hints behind turning the search in a small treasure hunt.

Atsuko smiled softly when finding Benji lying under the tree with the book covering his face, she knew for sure that he wasn't sleeping, his breathing wasn't soft enough for that, but was clear that he was resting, and she pretty much guessed that he had heard her coming have a while now.

Atsuko sits next to Benji and softly lifts the book up and pats on her lap after Benji opened one of his eyes, Benji moves a little and rests his head on Atsuko's thighs, Atsuko softly runs her hand on his hair after placing the book a little lower on his face leaving his eyes uncovered.

Benji reaches ups and removes the book from his face, closing it as he rests it over his stomach, Atsuko could easily hear the unspoken half sarcastic and had teasing words that crossed his mind 'Why you just didn't took the whole thing away?' Atsuko leans forward and kisses Benji softly on the lips, no words were really needed then.

End of the chapter third two:

Author explanation corner:

Mutsumi: Well needless to say that there was a large amount of hentai suppressed in this chapter with her involved, juicy, juicy hentai… anyway as explained in the story Mutsumi become important to grant Benji stability as the lord and owner of his lands, given the plans for the land greedy nobles would eagerly contest about Benji's right over them, especially after Benji implements his knowledge to make the farming area produce large amounts of crops, what some basic agricultural knowledge paired with what you can learn nowadays can do to land in the 'feudal' era.

Given her birth as princess is obvious that Mutsumi is from traditional, old and respected noble bloodlines from both her father's and mother's sides, even banned from being a princess Mutsumi is still noble, which gives more benefits for Benji than a peasant Amatsu woman.

Originally Mutsumi wouldn't end on Benji's bed, though it crossed my mind few times, but as I wrote the scene of Benji discussing with Tomotaka about the castle and the new lands I realized that it would be unnatural to Tomotaka just accept an armed group with a castle so near of Amatsu, so I needed something that would ensure Tomotaka that Benji would be loyal to the imperial family, so Mutsumi ended taking that role.

Since I removed Mutsumi's debate about taking the role of Benji's wife or not let me explain some of it here, Mutsumi is seventeen and some (months) old, curious about sex (even though she is easily embarrassed and shy about it), given her curiosity and some naughty chats with Haruka as well listening to some conversations around the guild Mutsumi decided to try it out, in the worse case she would go back to her place as a trophy wife and get some experience in sex.

Silver Moon castle and the lands: The idea of having Benji owning the lands around the castle have been bugging me from a long while, so it was Benji letting the guild girls import their families there and the families starting out a village under the guild's protection.

Some of the lands were assigned as farming lands, others were assigned as living areas for the newcomers, others were assigned as protected areas (mountainsides, riversides and other sensible to erosion areas, it is a known fact that those areas are very sensible to disforestation as the plants' roots is what holds the soil together), the living areas are again divided according to Benji's wishes with some aid of Makie for urban planning, ensuring that things won't get problematic later.

The taxes from the families living there are to help maintaining the settlement, the girls also pay a lease to Benji granting them or their families the use of his land, that extra money is to be used to make the settlement better as well pay for the extra policing and protection of the people there (real protection and not the mafia one, the protection is against stray monsters).

Benji and agriculture: I did study one year in a agricultural school when younger, I didn't continued as I didn't really liked of the career, but I don't deny that was interesting, but wasn't my calling, still I learned a lot of stuff there, specially about land, its types, how to grow crops and maintain the land fertile, including how to make few homemade fertilizers (while I don't make them, I am growing a mulberry sapling to plant it somewhere).

Benji and his mysterious large amount of money: Benji explored some unusual places in the three months void in the story, as well in some of the time skips during the story, in there he found large amounts of treasures (like in that new dungeon that I forgot the name, the one with a huge pile of gold and stuff on it), Benji also made trade with monsters to get more treasures that for monsters are just garbage.

Rating and selling the stuff would grant Benji a large amount of money, I have seen players with fortunes in the past, especially ones in guilds, anyway Benji had a nice fortune stashed away, for anyone wondering he has some more as well.

Yami and doppelgangers: Since nothing is said about how monsters reproduce I am throwing some stuff here, unless doppelgangers reproduce without sex (mitosis) they need to have sex, to have sex they need to have females (well not necessarily but you get the meaning), so I made doppelgangers 'select' their sexes, if the mind is female then the doppelganger is female while it can take male form its 'true' form is female, if the mind is male then the doppelganger is male, the same of the above takes place here inverted.

Who gets to be the male can be selected by fighting or discussion, or who gets on the top first, do some research about hermaphrodite animals and pick your favorite method of who is the female on that mating. Anyway since in the game we only see male doppelgangers (and normally only one) the male form even for females might be a disguise to protect the females from male attackers (you can think whatever you want as what kind of attack). One last thing doppelgangers are naturally light haired (blonde), and by saying this I save myself a long explanation of why Yami is blonde since when she shifted to Benji when he killed her she was brunette, and why all doppelgangers are blonde.

Beach vacation: Edited for hentai, lots of hentai, nudity and inappropriate scenes for the current rating, as if I would leave alone sparsely dressed girls and two maids.

Reika: She is a schoolgirl class monster. Okay kidding a bit, she is dressed like an anime schoolgirl, her race is between demi-human and demon, in one of Benji's solo visits in the dungeon Benji met her and they come to terms (pretty much what happened to Tsugumi, seeing a guy in a dangerous dungeon killing time instead of monsters made her curious), after getting to know her Benji sided with her to created a ruling on the dungeon that would benefit him, so he helped Reika to get control of the dungeon and organizing other demon schoolgirls together to form a nice society.

It took lots of killing and oppressing of the previously ruling group but Benji got Reika in the ruling place and established a trading agreement between him and the dungeon for both helping her to take the ruling place and to keep the adventurers out of the dungeon so they could make a society faster.

Benji's escapade: Originally was going to end after the "and since he actually couldn't he was just sited with his back against the trunk of the tree reading a book." part but I ended writing that nice scene with Atsuko in the start of the chapter 33 and decided that would be a better ending for this chapter instead of the beginning of the next one.

Anyway going back to the old ways of Benji getting sick of his work and escaping from it to have some time for himself to do whatever he wanted, just like he did back when the guild started. And to think that in the story the guild is around one year and some months old, I need to track down the passage of time, but I am sure that still haven't passed two years.


	34. Strays

Hi this is Benji Himura I am starting a new fanfic

Hi this is Benji Himura I am starting a new fanfic. I don't own Ragnarok online I also don't own the characters of that story or the plot; taking out the changes that I will make and the characters that I will create. I own Benji Himura and others characters that will show up in the story. It might be violence and sex in the story so if you are underage of seventeen are warned the content might be too improper to your age. Read by your own will and risk. In anyway enjoy the story.

Signed: Benji Himura

"Text"= Talked sentences.

'Text' = Thoughts.

-Text- = Sounds effects.

(Text)= Talked sentences in a foreign language

: Text: = Messages show in an electronic screen or written.

**Text**: something being recalled, flashbacks, scenes being replayed.

_Text_: a detail found in a location, scene, person, recording and images that originally wasn't there.

Chapter thirty three: Strays

Elle wasn't really pleased with what she saw, in her years in Rune-Midgard she saw a lot of things, but nothing made her to uneasy as the group people that walked towards the castle. There was ten adventurers, a regular mixed group as many others, a stalker, two lord knights, one high priest, one champion, three snipers, one whitesmith and one biochemist.

They clearly weren't friendly, Elle just knew that, every nerve of her body shouted that to her, and she wasn't the only one, as Layla was ordering the gates to be shut and barricaded. Something was very wrong with the approaching adventurers, Elle feared for the safety of the innocents living on the settlement.

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Atsuko was content, having Benji close to her like that, the two of them just relaxing in a peaceful location far from everyone else, the two of them wearing casual clothes and not adventuring wear, sharing a moment of closeness and affection, that was the kind of thing that she imagined when thinking about love, sure in the past just imagining a mystery man.

"Benji what you will do now?" Atsuko asked to him in a soft tone. "After you are fully recovered." "Not much of an idea." Benji answered. "Most of my long term plans involving myself in the past were ruined before I could do much about it, I am just moving with the flow right now, maybe when I feel like I can finish something I will start some new plan."

Atsuko couldn't really blame him for that, just based on the time that she lived with him and what she learned from the others Benji's life did got upside down plenty of times. "You have nothing that you want to do?" Atsuko asked curious. "A goal or a dream?" "The closer thing that I had to a dream in the past is now impossible." Benji answered casually, he stretches and wraps Atsuko's slim waist with his right arm. "But if I look at my love life I can say that more than a handful of dreams are being experienced." Atsuko chuckled and kissed him. "I didn't mean that kind of dream." Atsuko teased. "But I don't mind them either."

"What you think in starting a family?" Atsuko asked after few moments of silence. "Keep adventuring in a lower place in your life, settle down and start a family?" Benji was a bit surprised but at the same time not really surprised with Atsuko's question, he always got this vibe out of her that she wanted a family. "It sounds nice." Benji answered. "I won't deny that, but I am not sure if people would leave me alone."

Atsuko light moves her head to the sides. "Not retiring, but expending less time fighting and managing things." Atsuko said in a soft tone. "You can appoint people to tasks so you can have more time for yourself. Give some thought about it okay?" Atsuko doesn't wait for Benji's answer before kissing him again; she wants him to nurture the idea for now.

She could feel that Benji wasn't against the idea as he just responded to the kiss; maybe he was just uneasy or uncomfortable with the idea, fearing that he isn't ready for that responsibility. Atsuko could wait more; she had more time to wait for him to get ready.

Atsuko let out a little sound of surprise when feeling Benji suddenly tensing under her, he was pretty relaxed until then, even when she brought up the subject of starting a family, breaking the kiss Atsuko looks at him confused at the cause of his sudden change of mood.

"What happened?" Atsuko asked worried. "Someone entered in my domains." Benji answered while sitting up. 'Domains?' Atsuko thought confused, she doesn't hear people using that word all that often. "You mean that someone is entering in the castle?!" Atsuko asked surprised.

"The area around it." Benji answered standing up and giving a hand to Atsuko to do so, the monk accept the aid and stands up, lightly patting the grass away from her dress. She let out a little yelp when Benji suddenly picks her up on his arms and runs in the direction of the guild.

Atsuko was surprised with his speed, it was by far superior than anything that she had ever ran or saw someone running, it was close of the speed of her Snap skill, and Benji was running as if her weight wasn't even there, Atsuko just makes sure that she has a firm grip on Benji and presses her face against his chest protecting her eyes from the raging wind, inwardly wondering how it doesn't bother Benji.

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Alexis is shocked when seeing the left eye of one of the lord knights explode in blood preventing the knight from killing her, looking on the direction where the stone came they see a very displeased looking Benji staring at the attackers, Atsuko moves and aid the fallen girls with the help of others from the castle, taking them to the safety of the castle.

"And I thought that I would have more time to fool around." The stalker said in a mocking tone. "But given the fact that you aren't wearing armor and is clear that you aren't armed with anything other than pebbles this will be very amusing." Benji calmly steps forward and flicks a stone into the eye of the master smith with the same result as the one hitting the knight.

Armed only with a fistful of stones Benji is calmly flinging them at the attackers with enough strength and speed to cause bad wounds using only one hand. The stalker frowns when seeing his underlings taking hit after hit in the face, arms and whatever other soft and uncovered parts.

"How many times I have to kill you until you stay dead?" Benji asked in an annoyed tone. "Just one is enough, but last time you didn't stay behind long enough to make sure that the job was over." The stalker answered. "I will correct that." Benji commented. "I wonder how." The stalker replied. "You are surrounded and you ran out of stones, and your fuck toys aren't strong enough to stop us. This time you will die! Without weapons you can't do anything!"

"You actually think that I need weapons to kill?" Benji asked casually, before anyone could answer Benji had covered the distance between himself and the high priest, Benji sinks his teeth on the priest's neck before pulling back hard tearing a large chunk of flesh and the artery there, in a fraction of second later Benji takes a second bite in the opposing side of the first bite and tears the priest's neck again.

With a third bite Benji rips the priest's throat before anyone could scream, with a simple movement Benji twists the priest's head breaking the spine before pulling hard on it tearing the head from the remaining flesh that connected it to the neck, and all that in less than two seconds.

Benji casually throws the severed head at the stalker's feet. "You were saying?" Benji asked teasingly with his lips, teeth and chin stained with blood. Benji casually rummages on the corpse while holding it with his left hand and pulls a blue potion from it. "Great it will wash away the taste of blood." Benji commented while idly opening the bottle and using the potion as a mouthwash, and the attackers didn't do a thing.

That until the stalker shouts a command, Benji uses the corpse as a shield and blocks the arrows from the snipers, at the same time he grabs the high priest's grand cross. Benji throws the corpse at the snipers and dash at them, it was easy for Benji to hit one of the confused snipers, it isn't everyday that you are attacked with the corpse of a friend.

Benji let go of the cross as it nailed itself deep on the sniper's skull, shifting his focus to the second sniper Benji punches the guy hard, then Benji grabs the sniper's right ankle, with a powerful swing Benji smashes the sniper against one of the lord knight's and sees with satisfaction the sniper's head exploding in blood against the armor.

Not much damage were inflicted to the knight, but Benji intends to change that, bringing the still alive but badly hurt sniper down the knight again Benji hits the knight in the head, this time the sniper's head fully explodes staining the hurt knight's head with blood and brain pieces. Carelessly discarding the dead sniper Benji grabs the knight's neck and tears the spear away from his hands.

Benji drives the spear on the knight's chest until it erupts on the knight's head, letting go of the fourth corpse Benji looks at the remaining six people, Benji was a bit surprised half minute had passed since he began his attack and no one of them reacted to it well, he was expecting a bit more of a challenge, but he wouldn't complain either, he could see the fear in the others.

Bolting forward Benji grabs the armor of the second knight, with a strong pull Benji tears the knight's armor from his body, then Benji thrusts his right hand on the knight's chest until it erupts on his back, everyone could see the still pumping heart on Benji's hands.

The knight screams in pain and Benji crushes the beating muscle before tearing his hand out of the knight's chest tearing the heart away, Benji carelessly throws the heart away and takes that knight's sword and charges at the biochemist. Benji was counting on fear to buy him enough time to finish them all before they start attacking back, Benji knew that currently taking hits wouldn't be good for him.

The stalker stares in shock, in less than one minute Benji tore through all his companions as if they were nothing more than a bunch of low level zombies, more than half of them using his bare hands. "Now let's make sure that you won't come back." Benji said while looking at the stalker.

Not stupid and knowing that now he has no chance of winning he hides and tries to run away, Benji grinned, he could still see the stalker trying to move away as clear as day. Benji picks up the whitesmith's axe and throws it on the stalker nailing the axe right on the stalker's back.

Falling on his face gasping blood the stalker becomes visible again. "You should have learned with your owner and avoid me like the plague." Benji said while walking to the stalker. "Now where is Juichi?" "Fuck you!" The stalker coughed. "I have plenty of time to deal with you." Benji commented while stepping on the axe and slowly burying it on the stalker making the stalker scream in pain.

Benji tenses and looks at the distance, inside the castle Haruka, Makie, Maria, Aysu and Elle does the same thing, well some of them looking straight at walls, Benji stomps the stalker's head knocking him out, Aliza run out of the castle and picks up the fallen stalker and takes him away.

"Keep Maria and Aysu inside!" Benji shouted to the girls in the castle, Maria's cries can be heard as she is held by Jannine and Karen, Haruka and Makie run straight at the gate, Elle was already near Benji. "Benji-taisho is that…?" Haruka asked a bit short of breath. Benji nodded confirming, before the others could ask anything the group had left through a warp portal.

Atsuko sighed annoyed at that, something wasn't right, Maria was anxious and unquiet, trying to squirm away from Jannine's arms, Aysu was also clearly disturbed but doesn't have an idea of what to do and what is bothering her, and allows herself to remain fidgety where she stands.

"Maybe something like Maria's arrival happened again." Erika said seeing how Benji, Haruka, Elle and Makie left like that and how Maria an Aysu are uneasy, while not fully aware of everything Erika knew part of the story, and she was also there when Maria arrived and recalled the group that rushed out of the castle without any sort of preparation, and now the group was the same, just with the addition of Elle on it.

"It is possible." Layla commented uneasy, if was like how Maria arrived and how Haruka arrived things would be troublesome and Benji wasn't carrying any kind of weapon with him. "We can't do anything other than wait." Atsuko said to the others. "Let's treat the wounded and throw those corpses away." In silence the others nod and proceed to either help the wounded girls or load the corpses on a cart.

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"Where are we?" Haruka asked confused, all that she could see is scorched, hard cracked land, building ruins and what appears to be a desert at the distance. Elle and Makie were also confused at the location, Benji in the other hand wasn't. "We are in the Sograt desert." Benji said while crouching and rubbing the thin dry sand on his bloodied hand removing it from his skin. "Outside the safe area, more or less two weeks from Morroc or any other city."

"Do I even want to know how you know all this?" Makie asked looking at Benji. "I appeared here." Benji answered, he points to the southeast. "I walked on that direction for a long time." Benji could still remember well everything that happened, it was hard to forget that kind of shocking experience.

Dusting the sand away from his hands Benji stands up. "Still it is odd, we are very far from Amatsu, we weren't supposed to feel anyone's presence, yet we did and the warp took us here." Elle said looking around. "And other than us no one else is around."

"Don't group us as no one." Junko said while walking out from a side street. "We also warped here." Next to Junko is a pair of girls, one with long brown hair wearing a long black coat and one with long red hair. "Before anything no aggression between us." The brown haired one said seriously. "A stray is somewhere around, so both of you leave your differences aside at least until we find and take the stray to safety."

"I was going to suggest that." Benji commented. "I am not that resentful to ignore a person in danger." Junko snorted and nodded agreeing, she also wasn't like that. "Given the fact that we are here for less than one minute and I don't see any new faces the stray wasn't located." Junko said. "And to get that kind of feeling all the way to Amatsu and the warp redirect here things are worse than the usual."

Benji had to agree with that, sure none of them had all that much experience with finding strays, Elle never located anyone neither did Makie, both Junko and Benji had located two strays immediately after their arrival and both Benji and Junko had found strays much after their arrival to Rune-Midgard, Haruka didn't had much experience to count on anything in that area.

"What you know about this place?" The red haired girl asked to Benji. "Deadly." Benji answered. "Other than that I don't know much, I wandered a bit in the ruins searching for people or even some kind of equipment or food but there wasn't anything here." Benji points towards a larger ruin. "I believe that, that place is a dungeon, or is directly above one. When I investigated this place on my arrival all my instincts told me to not adventure on that place."

"It wouldn't be surprising if you are right." Junko commented. "That place seems like some sort of shrine or church, the kind of place that holds magic, creatures living there wouldn't be farfetched." "Then what we do?" Haruka asked confused. "Look for tracks." Benji answered. "Whoever is lost here must be looking for shelter or people; see if you can find footprints in the sand, dropped stuff, pieces of clothes, anything."

"We also shouldn't separate too much." Elle said seriously. "Yeah, mobs are lured by the arrival of one of us." Junko added seriously. "We don't have all that many damage dealers here. Just Lucy, Jessica and you."

"I wonder if I killed or will kill all the other damage dealers." Benji commented recalling Bethany and Juichi who is on his death list. "Wait!" Makie exclaimed truly confused. "Didn't you told that you only found Haruka before we met." "Yeah you did said something like that to me too." Haruka added, now she finally understood that odd nagging feeling that she forgot something important that was bugging her for few months now.

"Well I call it tactical misinformation." Benji replied. "Translating he lied." Junko said with a grin, and for that she gets the back of Benji's left hand smashing on her nose. Junko curses and holds her nose, while Benji hit hard, he held back enough to not break her nose.

"You so deserved that one." Elle commented in a tired voice. "Look our situation with Benji was everything but easy, especially between Benji and Junko, they are somehow enemies, if he told you two about me or her you two would want to meet her and that would cause lots of trouble, just leave that behind you, not every outcast like us are good guys."

Benji nodded agreeing with that, other than Junko who was good but did something really bad, the girls that Junko found, Elle, and the girls that he found Benji was still to meet a good outcast. "And this isn't important right now." Benji said seriously. "We have a stray somewhere around this desert and I know very well how dangerous this area is."

"Other than the heat and lack of water what is the danger here?" Junko asked confused but still rubbing her nose. "That would be me." An eerie voice said coming from a growing pile of black sand. "Don't you humans ever learn that I don't like you invading my domains?"

"Easy there queen, we came here just to pick a lost person." Benji said as the others jump startled. Benji pulls a wrapped bar from his pocket and places it on the ground between him and the sand that now gains a monstrous humanoid form. "Is this token enough to grant us passage and information on this time?"

"Sweet talker as usual." The monster said looking at the bar, it takes a deep breath of it and exhales in delight. "Ahh…sweetness…this is different than what you offered in the last time." "Those were my last ones; that one is candy made of several fruits, with even more sugar than those." Benji said with a smile knowing that she will accept the deal. "The energetic value of that is really, really large."

"Once again you has convinced me sweet talker." The creature said reaching to the bar with its flowing hand. "The ones that you look are on that direction, not too far from here." "I humbly thank you for your generosity queen." Benji said with a polite bow. "I apologize for intruding on your domains, we only do so in the rescue of the ones like us who weren't told about your magnificent existence."

"I might overlook those incidents if a token is given to me as you have done." The monster said with what could be called of face almost sliming. "You should hurry, others who live here aren't as generous as I am." Benji leads the group away from there and girls remain in silence unsure of what happened, but aware that if Benji would resort to such flattery and humbling to avoid conflict it was better to just follow his figure.

"What was all that about?" Junko asked once they are far from there. "Why you sucked up to that monster like that?" It was everything that Haruka wanted to ask as well. "She is not the kind of monster that we should fight." Benji said seriously. "And we wouldn't have won anyway."

"Come on Benji!" Junko exclaimed angrily. "Virtually nothing could survive against this group! We have more than enough power to take down any MVP, even four at once if not more!" "I have to agree with her on that Benji." Makie said seriously. "You alone are a match to any MVP."

"But she isn't normal isn't she Benji?" Elle asked seriously, she had this theory of why Benji threaded so carefully around that 'queen'. "She is a legion." Benji chuckled at that, Elle had figured it out nicely. "Legion?" Lucy asked confused. "In the bible, Legion is the name that a horde of demons possessing one man gave to Jesus when questioned his name. Legion means many beings who are one but many." Elle explained. "Am I right Benji?"

"Yes." Benji answered casually. "There are some obscure legends about this living sand queen, some call her black sand others queen sand, but in the reality she isn't sand, what we just saw isn't anything other than a moving colony of ants, each ant of the size of a grain of sand, protecting their queen nested inside that 'body'."

"So what? We fry the fuckers with some spell and it is over." Haruka said annoyed. "They are just ants." "Ants that can eat the flesh out an animal in less than two seconds." Benji said seriously. "Look that legion is by far stronger than anything that we have faced, on the bright side the queen is easily pleased with sweet things filled with calories. She happily trades flesh for sugar. Besides she can't touch outcasts, don't ask me why, when she tried last time the ants that touched me burned, and yes it hurt me as well."

"So a fight with us would cause us serious wounds." Elle commented. "And Benji you think that what we saw isn't everything right?" Benji nodded confirming, true they saw billions if not more ants forming a living mass, but ants are know for having huge colonies, he doesn't want to find out that what he saw is just the tip of the tip of the iceberg.

Junko sighed and decides to let that go, they have more pressing issues than some ants, thought she makes a note of investigating more about it later. "How far the ruins go?" Jessica asked to Benji. "Quite far." Benji answered. "This used to be a large city before the queen happened."

"You mean that the queen killed everyone?" Lucy asked in horror. "Maybe not everyone, but enough people to make the humans that lived here think that fighting for this land wasn't worth the trouble." Benji answered. "The legends say that the black sand ate many and even the strongest warriors couldn't defeat it, after many deaths they fled their city, everything that was left behind that could be eaten was eaten a long time ago."

Everyone notices Benji's sigh, it was clear that he looked for food there and didn't found anything when he was lost there. "And the queen isn't the only dangerous monster here, I heard that there were more than few dungeons around this place, monsters escaped and live here, the queen eats her fill of them, the monsters get stronger as the gene pool loses the weak and sick, you get the picture."

Junko and Elle do understand, that kind of setting would leave only the strongest, faster and smarter monsters alive, and the ones too dangerous for the queen or anyone else to fight easily, monsters that would kill anything for food or fun, a sick kind of symbiosis between the monsters.

"Still you should have gotten better directions from that monster." Junko complained, they couldn't see anything other than the ruins. "It won't help." Benji commented with a sigh recalling what happened last time. "Her distance measuring is way different, when I asked where others humans lived she did point me the right way and said far, but she didn't said how much, plus she doesn't measure distance like we do with meters and kilometers, it is just far and close, this way or that way."

Everyone could understand that, back in Earth in the past it was common that different cultures measured things differently than the others until a universal system was adopted. Benji looks around and finds a taller ruin, he moves to it and kicks it few times, seeing that is reasonably solid Benji easily climbs on the angled structure.

"Anything?" Junko asked when Benji was on the top of the partially crumbled tower. "I think that I saw something dark on that way." Benji answered pointing a little to the left. "I am sure that is moving." "Well it is enough." Junko commented. Benji slides down the ruin. "We will separate in teams and take different streets, it will make our chances better."

"What kind of teams?" Makie asked with a frown. "We have three damage dealers, one healer and the rest of us are supporters, so Benji, Lucy and Jessica with the rest of us, one of the groups will have three people." Junko answered. "To make things fair we draw straws."

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Elle-san why Benji-taisho and that Junko woman were so annoyed in being teamed?" Haruka asked to Elle, on the draw Benji ended teamed with Junko, Elle and Haruka with Lucy, Makie with Jessica.

"There is a bit of a history between them." Elle answered seriously. "Before Benji made the guild, for a handful of weeks, nothing more than a couple of months Benji was part of a clan, it is something different from a guild, but at the same time similar, anyway Junko was and still is the leader of the clan, Benji joined us, well in a short time he got himself high in the ranks, Junko liked him, Benji had done a lot for the clan."

"Well if that happened why they seem to hate the other?" Haruka asked confused. "They disagreed on something very serious." Lucy answered in a level tone, she was there when it happened. "Shousa opposed something that our leader done, it was something so bad that he tore the ties with us, no one knows for sure what it was, some say that he left with something really important, and that it was something that she wronged. Some rumors say that was an important item for someone or some people."

Elle knew the truth, but decided to keep the details for herself. "It was mostly like that." Elle added. "Junko started out the tearing, she attacked him when they were discussing on a bridge not so far of the clan's castle, he fell from it wounded, later he returned to the castle, you know how Benji is when angry. Do I need to tell more?"

Haruka denies, she could easily see what happened, Benji returned and striked back several times harder before cutting the ties and taking away whatever he took. "So they hate each other for that, well I kind of understand." Haruka commented.

"You don't." Elle said seriously. "There was a great deal of trust between them, Junko and Benji really trusted on the other, but Junko abused that trust without Benji know, and when Benji protested on what she done Junko snapped, she has a temper. What you see is their hurt feelings and different positions on something that both consider important, they won't budge on their beliefs."

"But they are willing to put that aside for the sake of someone in need." Lucy commented with a small smile. "I think that there is a chance of them getting along again, maybe with more time they will work things out." "Perhaps." Elle replied. "But don't get your hopes high there girl, Benji is pretty stubborn and so is Junko, they are too similar in things that make situations like that harder to deal with. Unless they solve that, they won't get along."

"Come on Elle you saw what she was wearing." Lucy said casually. "I know that you noticed that, and that Shousa pretended that he didn't." Haruka was confused and looks back and forth between the two. "I can't deny that." Elle commented. "But Junko is too prideful to accept things, and Benji can be pretty hardheaded as well, he might not apologize either. They hurt each other in the past; they won't just forgive and forget, especially with that still between them."

Haruka is confused and curious, Elle and Lucy aren't getting in details over what is the thing that is left unresolved between Benji and Junko, but was clear that was something pretty major, she really wants to know exactly what it is.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"So what you were doing that got blood all over your clothes?" Junko asked trying to start a conversation with Benji. "Killing." Benji answered. "There is this guy that is my enemy who sent some goons to Amatsu, I was in the middle of tearing them apart when it happened. I thought that you were peeping on the castle as usual."

Junko sighed, she expected that Benji knew about her watching the castle but at the same time hoped that he didn't. "I do have better things to do as well; I don't keep the surveillance everyday." Junko said casually. "I was busy in the castle. When exactly you learned?" "After I transcended." Benji answered. "I got suspicious then, I got it confirmed later though, since you never did anything other than watch I just let you go."

Junko remained in silence, she did watch more things than she wanted there, as some of Benji's escapades with one or sometimes more than one of his lovers at once, and now that Benji told her that he knew that she was there she was pretty sure that more than few of those times Benji did in those places in purpose to embarrass her.

"If you knew that I was there why you kept having sex with your lovers in the window of the office?" Junko asked in an annoyed and embarrassed tone. "First to embarrass and annoy you, second because turns them on a lot." Benji answered casually. "When you have five lovers you tend to use tricks to make them get off harder and stronger with the least effort that you can to preserve energy, though recently I don't need to save it all that much, for a matter of fact right now I have to use some of my slaves to relieve the excess, the routine of lots of sex everyday is paying up."

Junko is truly embarrassed with his words, Benji is admitting so many shameless things and is not even blushing or bathing an eyelash, but again given to the things that she saw him doing she isn't much surprised that he isn't all that embarrassed, though he seems to be taking a lot of pride in that fact.

Benji adjust his red sunglasses and looks around, he so hated deserts, he had come to terms with beaches and the sand in beaches, but he really came to hate deserts, on the bright side Benji knew that this time he would be able to escape from there without suffering as he did in the past, and if it came to walking all the way to Morroc Benji knew that on his current speed levels he could reach the city in one day.

"This place is too quiet." Junko commented after few minutes. "I can't hear any kind of life in here other than us." "Because other than us nothing here is alive." Benji replied. "And what is alive is under a layer of sand and stone waiting to kill us, I just want to find the stray and leave this place."

Once again Junko saw her attempt of conversation being shot down, and this time she couldn't really blain Benji for it, she knew that he doesn't like deserts and that he did wander on it for a long time almost dying on it. "Are you even armed?" Junko asked after a while.

"When the time comes I will get it." Benji replied. "Until then I am fine like this." Junko understood what he meant, a scream not so far from there cuts any other attempt of conversation, Benji takes out his glasses and throws it to Junko. "Hold on that for me. Benji exclaimed before bolting out of there. Junko grabbed them more out of reflex than consideration; she pockets the sunglasses and runs after Benji, impressed with the distance that he got in those short moments.

Benji summons his Vassala and sees the ground level change, he sees a cliff and the ruins continuing bellow, and bellow him Benji sees a pair young women pressing their backs on a broken wall while a large group of sand colored bipedal lizard like monsters of the size of big dogs are surrounding her.

Benji leaps from edge with the sword held with both hands, he lands on the shoulders of one of the creatures, Benji's weight and momentum is enough to crush the creature to death, Benji strikes down a closer creature cutting it in half. With a side slash Benji kills four more before the monsters retreat few meters as they weren't expecting that kind of resistance and are confused.

Benji quickly glances over his shoulders and sees that the two girls don't appear to be hurt, just very scared. "Stay close to me if you want to live." Benji says to them. "Got it?" The two of them nod affirmatively, he was human and so far he protected them, for them was enough reason to trust him.

Twenty meters above them Junko looks down and sighs, Benji had just jumped down a height equivalent to a small to mid sized building. 'He is even more insane than before.' She thought annoyed, but again she was the one who first made him that reckless, and Benji did land smoothly and saved the two girls.

Now closer to the monsters Benji saw that they are lizard men, clad with crude armors and armed with rusty swords, spears, maces and axes, perhaps things that were scavenged from the ruins, but that was unimportant to Benji as a group of spear armed monsters charge at him with the spears aimed at him.

Benji slashes the spears breaking them easily, in the return slash Benji beheads all the six attacking monsters, but the group was just the first and made the others attack as well, Benji easily dodges the attacks while attacking back sending more and more monsters to the ground, blood being sucked by the dry sand tainting the golden sand crimson.

Junko wasn't all that impressed, she saw Benji killing before, but the fact that he is totally unarmored is something new, turning away from the battle she looks around the area, she won't jump down twenty meters.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Attracted by the screams the other groups run to the area and find the carnage, Benji carelessly killing the last group of monsters, and he wasn't even breathing hard. Lucy was impressed as he doesn't even broke a sweat on that heat, Junko was moving down a tall wall behind Benji.

"Well at least we can leave this damn place." Jessica commented as Benji cleaves the last lizard man, as she noticed the two young women who are with their backs pressed against a ruined house's wall. "I guess that we all felt the arrival because there are two of them at once." Elle said after analyzing the situation. "With two strays the reaction would be stronger."

"And in what you are basing that?" Haruka asked to the other woman. "The fact that we all felt their arrival, Amatsu is very far from here, so is the place where Junko and the others live." Elle answered. "Makes sense." Lucy commented. When they reach Benji Junko had also arrived.

Now with calm Benji looks at the newcomers, one of them has medium short lightly spiked blonde hair and the other has short and straight black hair, both of them have green eyes, they are quite tall and they are wearing rather common clothes a bit on the tight side being a leather shoes, black pants, a white button up shirt and a black blazer with a emblem stitched on the left breast pocket.

"It is just me or they also look slightly oriental?" Jessica said to the others while pointing to the girls. "I did notice that as well." Benji replied, this one theory of his was getting a tad more solid with that. "Now, now we can discuss their homeland later." Elle said to them. "Now we should reassure them that they are safe, they are scared to death."

"Considering what mister massacre just did I am not surprised at all." Junko commented teasingly. Benji glares at her restraining his will to smack her upside her heat with his sword. "We came here to help." Elle said to the girls ignoring Junko's remark. "I know that you are scared, you have every right to be, but we all have experienced that in the past, we like you two arrived in harsh places."

"What is going on?" The blonde one asked while covering the brunette. "Why we are in this desert place? Why there was those monsters are here and why he killed them all?" "He killed them to protect you." Elle answered in a calm and level, as well gentle tone. "Those monsters chased you and were attacking you two; they would have killed you if they got you. For why they are here I can only wonder as you do, we also don't know why. As for what is going on, well we also don't know much, we have theories going on but no certains other than we aren't on Earth anymore."

"What is your last memory before you two ended on this place?" Benji asked to them, knowing very well that recalling what happened before and what they experienced would help to clear things out. "We were getting ready for school." The brunette answered. "Then there was this loud sound, the next thing that I remember is landing on something hard." "Same here." The blonde added. "What happened?"

"Not much idea." Benji answered honestly. "I haven't figured my case yet, anyway we have more pressing things to worry about now; you two have any other belongings other than your clothes?" Junko agreed with Benji that was a much more pressing issue to worry about, Earth items are imbued with great powers during the transfer; powers that can greatly help those two.

"I have few things on my bookcase." The brunette answered. "Mostly school stuff, but a handful other things." "I have belt pack with my wallet and few more stuff why?" The blonde asked worried. "I explain later." Benji answered. "Any of you lost anything after the arrival? Maybe when running around? Or didn't picked stuff that were near you when you landed?"

The duo is confused, a quick check on their bags show that everything is okay. "We have everything that we were carrying when it happened and there wasn't anything next to us." The blonde said. "Now why is that important?" "Several reasons." Benji answered. "Right now the most is that is the only things that you own."

The duo gave the point to Benji, the measly everyday items in their bags and their clothes it is all that they own now. "Anyway we should leave this place before more monsters arrive." Makie said seriously. "Benji you said that this place is dangerous, so we shouldn't stick around more than needed."

"Yeah." Benji replied with a nod. "If they haven't dropped anything then we are good to go." "Go?" The blonde asked. "But how?" Benji grinned at the question. "It is a kind of magic." Benji answered casually. "You have been wanting to say that for a while haven't you?" Junko asked to Benji teasingly. "Well you are old enough to know that." Elle commented chuckling. "Now that I think about it I kind of feel jealous."

Haruka is clueless as are the others. "What is going on?" Haruka asked confused. "Isn't it supposed to be magic?" "Well it is." Makie answered finally realized what is going on. "So what next you will take countless shots in the chest, die and come back to life?" "I did that with swords, arrows and other stuff more than once." Benji replied. "Now that you mention you did." Makie recalled, she did see Benji pretty banged up in the past. "No 'there is can be only one'?"

Benji chuckled at that, if he had the opportunity he would use that one as well, but since he didn't he keeps that one for later. "That sounds oddly familiar." The brunette commented. "It is from a m…" Benji suddenly spins the sword and swings it hard, they all hear a loud sound of metal hitting something hard, almost like a baseball hitting a aluminium bat.

Far from there something explodes, Benji spins the sword again and tucks it on his belt under his back before driving his fingers on the ground, the girls scream shocked, not only at the explosion, but because the ground is shaking, with a snarl Benji tears a large square of stone from its place under the sand, tipping the girls to the side as he lifts the massive object over his head.

Haruka stares in shock as Benji holds the five by five meters and twenty centimeters thick square of solid stone over his head, sand falls from it as Benji tilts it to the side slightly, covering everyone under the shade of the stone just before a series of explosions roar just above them.

Makie is the first to understand what is happening, Benji tore a piece of the pavement of the ruins and is using it as a shield to cover them from the rain of explosives, the stone is cracking slightly at the series of impacts but holds until they end. With a loud scream Benji shifts his footing and throws the stone away, further away than any logic would accept, bringing the unknown assailants to scream in terror when realizing that the stone is going to land in them.

Benji let out a slight tired breath and dusts his hands with a smile of satisfaction. "You are just inhuman." Elle said to Benji while standing up. "Since when you can lift things by the metric ton?" Junko asked also surprised she knew that Benji was strong but not that strong!

"You know I think that you could do like those guys in the TV and lift models on a platform." Haruka commented in awe. "Now that would be interesting." Benji said trading models by his lovers and maybe his slaves as well. The two newcomers watch in horror, they just saw a man lift a piece of stone that must weight something around one to one and a half tons and throw it away as if it was a pebble, and he wasn't even sweating!

"You actually think that I would be able to swing Atroce's sword without that kind of strength?" Benji asked to them. It made sense for everyone other than the newcomers, the Atroce's sword was massive and heavy, the strain of swinging it would require a large amount of strength to use it in an average swordsman style, and an even large amount in the way that Benji uses it; still it was kind of unreal to see that strength.

"Anyway we should leave." Junko commented. "Actually we should stay a little longer." Benji said seriously. "What?!" everyone exclaimed surprised. "Why?" "Because those monsters were armed with grenade launchers." Benji answered. "That kind of weapon was only released recently, I want to investigate the remains; a mob armed like that is too dangerous to leave alone."

For more that they wanted to protest they all knew that Benji was right, well other than the newcomers, monsters with that kind of firepower aren't common and are surely dangerous, even in an out of limits area, the monsters could easily migrate or decide to attack human towns.

"I guess that you have a point." Elle said lightly annoyed. "As much as I don't like hanging around we can't just ignore this." Junko nodded agreeing. "Okay you two stay close of us." Benji said to the two new girls. "Lucy, Jessica, Makie and Haruka I want you two to stay close of them." Everyone nods and does so.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Elle frowned and Makie scowled when they see the grenade launchers, Benji kept an unemotional mask on, but inside her was as confused and troubled as the two, everyone else was pretty confused, the grenade launchers aren't the common Rune-Midgard type launchers, much less something that looked old as a relic of the lost civilization of the ruins that now they stand on, it wasn't even a breech loading single shot model. It was a black revolving barrel grenade launcher, similar to the ones of Earth.

Benji picks up one of the grenade launchers and after a quick exam he opens the gun. "Ten rounds." Benji muttered annoyed. "And that grenade is twice bigger than the ones available in the market." Makie added. "They look pretty similar to the cartridges of your cannon." Junko commented while looking at one of the empty cases.

"I based the design of those after the design of real grenades." Benji said while dumping all the ten spent grenades. "But these aren't like mine, mine are crude metal balls propelled by a gunpowder load, the grenades here were the explosive kind, the warhead was explosive. Just now my alchemists found an explosive mixture that can be used like thing safely, but still is hard to manufacture the warhead, solid ones are easy to make, but hollows? Those are hard."

"And the rock crushed the creatures and grenades." Elle said while seeing a forearm and hand that weren't crushed by the rock, while everything bellow the half of the forearm were crushed flat. "Whoever made this have more knowledge about guns and explosives than you, to a true technical level to replicate this kind of weapon system from scratch."

"What that means?" Lucy asked confused. "Benji modified existent weapons to make them better, close of the guns that we have back on Earth, while he does possess knowledge about them he doesn't has the real technical knowledge about them, his hand cannon is a prove of that, you know how crude it is because he made it from scratch."

Lucy knew that, it was simple and edging on the crudeness, yes it was effective, but painfully simple and minimalist showing a lack of the technical intricacies of a real gun.

"How more powerful those grenades are when compared to the ones that gunslingers use?" Junko asked seriously. "Half a time stronger." Benji answered. "It doesn't sound much, but is a fifty percent margin paired with a faster rate of fire and accurate long distance firing, adding all that together."

"It is a huge technological gap." Elle concluded. "I wonder if the monsters did these by themselves or someone gave it to them, if was given why." "It was given." Benji said seriously. "They used old and damaged weaponry against me when they were chasing the strays, if they had the knowledge to make this kind of grenade launchers they would have the knowledge to make good weapons."

'Then why someone would arm monsters?" The blonde newcomer asked worried. Benji crosses his arms and let out an annoyed breath. "I would arm and train monsters with the single purpose of turning them into an invading army." Benji answered seriously. "Expendable spearhead troops with low maintenance costs and with a huge moral degrading effect on the enemy. The psychological effects of an army of monsters invading a city or castle would greatly shake the morally of the enemy, being the enemy civilians or warriors, making them an easy target for a full scale invasion of a fully trained and stronger human army that would take over."

"Why it sounds so well thought and planned?" The blonde ask to Benji in a suspicious tone. "You know far too many details for something that you just thought over now." "Dear everyone thought at least once in raising an army of monsters to throw against their enemies." Junko said to the blonde. "And he knows far bit more than most of us about things like that."

"Besides I do think about stuff like that." Benji added. "I have tons of enemies, so I have to think in countermeasures for many possible attack scenarios, including an army of invading monsters sponsored by humans." "So what we do about this?" Haruka asked to Benji. "I say we go away and get back later with more weapons."

"I second that." Benji said casually. "I have a flamethrower back home that can do some nice damage inside tunnels." "Then it is decided we go back and come back in a later date with flamethrowers." Junko said casually while clapping her hands. "No flamethrowers to you." Benji said acidly. "What?!" Junko whined. "Not fair!" The two newcomers look at each other and sigh; they are far too confused to understand what is going on.

"More and more I think that maybe we would be better off in the monster's hands." The blonde commented to the brunette. "At least they were easy to figure……!" She suddenly screams as many hands grab her ankles and calves and pull her down. "Rein!" The brunette shouted while holding on the blonde. "Riku!" The blonde shouted as she desperately clings on the brunette as she is dragged bellow the ground.

Junko, Haruka and Jessica grab on Riku preventing her from being dragged, but before Benji, Elle, Lucy or anyone else Rein is dragged inside a hole on the ground. The edge of the hole crumbles a little widening it. "It must be some kind of tunnel system." Elle commented. "Benji!"

Benji leaps inside the hole and lands a little hard on his feet not so many meters bellow. "It is man made!" Benji shouted, it was a tunnel close to a hallway or a sewer, and he couldn't see any sign of the monsters carrying Rein on either way. 'Still a tunnel this big just a couple meters bellow the ruins it is a bit strange, this place is desert, a sewage system like this wouldn't work.' Benji crouches and looks at the ground, he could see tracks in the sand that give him a direction to go.

"It is safe down there?" Elle asked. "There isn't anything here right now." Benji replied. "Make way we are going down." Haruka said. "But we don't have lights!" Junko exclaimed. "I don't need light to see." Benji commented moving away from the hole, a nice effect of everything that he experienced is that total darkness was as clear as day for him, it was a bit annoying when trying to sleep but was handy in dark dungeons.

"We aren't monsters like you." Makie commented while climbing down the hole. "And I can cast a light spell." Haruka said while smoothly levitating down the hole, one by one everyone enters on the dark tunnel.

"They move rather quick." Elle commented when not seeing any corpses inside the tunnel, Benji dove there as soon Rein was dragged down, and if he hasn't killed anything is because they were outside his sight before he got there. "Yeah, but they went that way." Benji said pointing to the left. "The sand says so, and now I can see the scratches better on the stone."

"Still I don't like this." Junko commented. "We are in their backyard and we are hardly equipped to a rescue mission like this. Look at you my panties are more armored than you are right now." Benji just shrugs at the comment, sure a nice armor was important, but based on the type of abuse that Benji took in the past was also superfluous as he could take large amounts of damage and still fight.

"I don't like of the size of the tunnel." Lucy commented, there was hardly enough room for two people walk side by side with some distance between them and the walls, hardly enough to use long swords or staves. Benji stretches his arms while standing on the middle of the room, looking at where his hands end and the walls he had a pretty good idea of the width of the room. "Three meters and a half at most." Elle said when seeing Benji's gestures. "Five tall at most, not much room for battle or moving down here."

"Far enough for me." Benji commented while producing two long knives, almost swords by the length, both have a one hand long hilt with a ring on the end. It is wrapped with cloth and it has about ten centimeters of cloth hanging from the ring.

It is an half meter long blade, with two edges in the slight curved blade, the blade tip is larger than the middle and get larger again near of the handle, it have a small protuberance in the edge to inflict more damage with the tip of the protuberance and the other side of the edge the larger point of the blade, the tip if the edge is very thin and sharp with a slight turn to upside to the protuberance side, near of the handle is also sharp in the blade with a tips of the blade forming a guard, the part that is turned to the handle is blunt, a larger circle area in the connecting point of the handle and the blade are the main guard.

"Those are new." Junko commented seeing those two knives for the first time. "Not really." Benji replied casually. "I had this one for a long time, I only kept her secret." It was true, it was one of his old designs, heavy, sturdy, sharp and reliable, all that without being too heavy or cumbersome, perfect for close quarter combat.

Benji casually sheathes the two knives on his belt next to his sword. "When you got the sheathes?" Lucy asked surprised, even the sword was sheathed while tucked on his belt. "The same trickery." Junko muttered annoyed, it made her mad seeing Benji using that much better than she does.

"We should hurry." Jessica said seriously, they shouldn't be wasting time while one girl is on the hands of dangerous monsters. With a nod the group advanced with Benji on the lead and Lucy at the rear, with Riku in the middle the group for safety reasons.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"How annoying." Benji muttered while looking at a spear on his shoulder. "I guess that not even you can avoid every strike." Junko commented impressed that Benji is regarding the spear as something minor as a splinter on his finger, even though the spear pierced through his back. "Still just one wound after seventy monsters is really something."

Benji ignores her and holds on the spear with his right hand just before it enters on his shoulder and tears it from his shoulder with one swift pull. Benji carelessly throws the bloodied spear away. "Benji I could have done it without making things worse!" Elle exclaimed seeing a piece of bone still connected on the spearhead.

Benji closes his right hand hard. "Limiter release, fifty." Benji hissed as his body tenses. "Transgression." Haruka gasped in horror as smoke start to come out of Benji's wound as the scent of burning flesh fills the room. "Shed the old skin for the new skin." Elle whispered horrified as the wound burns itself closed leaving only a scar behind.

Benji take a deep breath and relaxes a little. "Now let's have a nice little chat." He says while walking to a lizard man. "I want you to understand something before we start…" Even the lizard man stares at Benji in horror, first Benji easily killed seventy of his kin with ease; second he tore the spear away and healed as if it was nothing. "If I do this do my OWN body, do you want to see what I will do to yours before you start speaking?" Benji continued with an evil smile.

"I don't know if I get impressed or sick." Makie commented while Benji listens to the lizard man telling him everything that he wants to know. "You should be horrified." Haruka said while looking at Benji's back. "I never knew that he could do that." "Please isn't like he damaged himself on that." Junko commented. "It just hurts. Transgression isn't such a horrifying technique."

Junko turns to Elle. "Benji said that he released to fifty." Junko said to the older woman. "How much he normally runs with, thirty, forty?" "Ten." Elle answered. "And Junko transgression isn't like heal, he hasn't really healed the wound, he repaired the damaged tissue and hasn't recovered."

"Screw that!" Junko exclaimed surprised. "You said that he runs with ten? You can't be serious, I run with thirty five all the time! Any less than thirty and I can't do anything!" "He can." Elle replied. "And he gains the benefits for such high limitation, you saw yourself, and that is why he is that strong. Now Junko if ten percent is leaking to him you really want to imagine how it is at fifty?"

Junko recovers her wits and sighs tiredly. "I really have no chance, right?" She asked in an annoyed and slightly angry tone. "His true level is far higher?" "Yes." Elle answered. "I just want to see his natural healing once the drawback ends." "Okay you people lost me a while ago." Makie says to the two. "What are you people talking about?"

"He haven't?" Junko asked to Elle. "No." Elle replied. "And if you do you will regret it badly." Benji added after killing the lizard man, he had learned everything. "They aren't ready." Junko looks at Benji, then at the lizard man, or what was left of him after Benji turned the top half of his body in pate. "Who am I to question that?" Junko asked casually.

"Good." Benji said with a pleased nod. "Anyway she is on that direction." Benji walks towards one of the several halls that connect to the room that they are in and the others follow him. 'Elle-san what is going on?' Haruka asked to Elle privately. 'A lot of stuff.' Elle answered. 'Look Benji doesn't want you to know yet, so just trust on him on that, he is right, you aren't ready, neither is Makie or anyone else, it is bad enough with Junko, Benji and I knowing about it.'

'But what is all this limiter, leaking, transgression, drawback and true level stuff about?' Haruka asked worried. 'I can tell that is dangerous.' 'And it is.' Elle replied. 'Look the truth is something double edged, we have scars from it and we are still treading in the dark here, don't worry about that stuff, let Benji do it, leaders are supposed to do that. And transgression is nothing more than a technique that Benji possesses, it regenerates tissue that was tore, it is really complex so I won't detail, in short it repairs damaged tissues like bone, muscle, nerves, tendons and skin, though the skin always end crudely.'

'So it is a kind of healing spell?' Haruka asked. 'Something like that.' Elle replied. 'It means that is something that is can be used regardless the fact that he can't heal by natural means.' Elle added to herself, transgression was just what it meant, to break laws, Haruka doesn't need to know that.

Riku was pretty scared with everything, first she and her sister ended on the desert alone and without any supplies, then they were chased by monsters, Benji arrived when they were trapped and killed the monsters, her sister was kidnapped by the monsters and now she is following them into their lair in hope of saving her sister, she can't understand what kind of nightmarish world she is in now.

As much as she wanted to believe that was all a bad dream she felt pain, it was real, for as much as that it frightened her. She just saw a man kill several monsters with ease and total lack of care, get wounded and not show pain, then tear the weapon from the wound and seal it up without using any kind of first aid, and it was all real, all that she hoped is that once her sister is safe is that they can get away from Benji, even thought he saved them she was utterly terrified of him.

"Don't worry so much." Lucy said to Riku, now Jessica is on the rear of the line. "Shousa can be very scary but he is just like that to enemies, to friends he is nice. If there is a chance of getting your sister safely it will be bigger thanks to him." "While I am in bad terms with him, you can take her word on that." Junko added to the scared girl. "He can be a inhuman, cruel, monstrous and mean murdering machine sometimes but most of the time he isn't like tha…!"

"I am sooooo sorry!" Haruka exclaimed in a clearly fake apologetic and clearly unrepentant voice after hitting Junko's head with her staff hard. "It slipped out of my hand." As more troublesome and sometimes annoying lover as she can be Haruka still loves Benji very much and wouldn't let some hussy badmouth him like that in front of her, even though Junko wasn't far off the truth with her words.

"Benji might seem a little scary." Elle said while Junko rubs the sore spot on the back of her head while muttering something about stupid, slutty, masochist and exhibitionist sodomite blonde bimbo. "But wanting or not we all need to become scary to survive here, Benji is just more than others, especially since he is taking the load of others for their sake."

Haruka felt that, it wasn't a barb or a insult, but she knew that Elle just threw that in purpose for her to catch, Haruka could recall very well how things were, while she killed many monsters and killed more than a few adventurers she never soiled herself in the levels that Benji had, and she knew why that.

"This world is very dangerous." Lucy said seriously. "There are so many monsters, so many ways of dying horrible deaths here, all that not even adding accidents, murder and other 'regular' stuff, in our side we have the advantage of developing several times faster than the natural humans of this world, but against us is the fact that we don't arrive ready for it."

Riku listens in silence, Lucy recalled very well how her arrival was, how frightened she was, she had very few belongings with her, the time that she somehow left Earth was the worst possible, she was changing clothes in her gym locker, when she arrived she had just a pair of cycling shorts, a sports bra and a shirt as clothing, and a broom that was next to her locker, no shoes, no backpack with useful items; and how she landed on a undead infested area filled with monsters that she never saw before or after she was rescued by Junko and Itsuki who was with her, but back then Junko's hair was longer and she was an assumed melee fighter and not an long range caster.

While more than a few meters ahead of the girls Benji could hear the conversation pretty well even though they are speaking in a lower than normal volume, first Benji's sense were pretty enhanced after everything, second they are inside a tunnel that made it easier to hear, he wasn't even surprised that Riku was scared to death of him, he did noticed that since Haruka his levels of violence when dealing with monsters during rescues escalated a lot, but he was a little surprised that Junko sort of defended him while offending him, he just keeps listening to the conversation absent mindedly while paying more attention to the dungeon itself.

Haruka did noticed something else that she didn't liked about Junko, first it was the jacket that she was wearing, it was clearly a masculine cut, quite bigger than she was as it hanged quite loosely on her, second it was that Junko's breasts are bigger than hers, closer to Layla's and Atsuko's size, just a touch smaller and Junko's body lines were by far more seductive and curvier than hers.

While all that annoyed Haruka a lot it wasn't what truly bothered her, it wasn't even how she badmouths Benji in every opportunity when he wasn't looking, but it was how Junko looked at Benji when he wasn't facing her, it wasn't the eyes of someone who looks at the enemy, but a look filled with longing and other feelings that Haruka couldn't fully read. Haruka knew that there was something there but she is too afraid of what exactly is that.

The sound of clawed feet on the stone reaches everyone's ears together with the sound of vicious snarling, but before anything could really happen Benji suddenly vanished from their sight, not walking outside the light radius of the torches and light spells, just vanishing.

Lucy and Haruka rushed forward and see a better lithe room filled with heavily armed and unmoving lizard men, in the opposite end of the room Benji is standing casually while using a piece of paper to wipe one of his knives clean. "I think that I know that." Haruka muttered just before all the lizard men burst in an explosion of blood and pieces.

It was just as Haruka foresaw, every lizard men died before even realizing that they were hit, but still stood erect before the bodies finally realized that it was slashed and fell into pieces. Haruka was stunned with the scene; Benji didn't have time for that kind of feat, as he was out of their sight for less than two seconds.

"He just did that?" Junko asked shocked with the small piece of hell that the room turned into. "Elle what kind of speed Benji possesses now?" "Let's just say that is in anime levels." Elle answered casually, still she was impressed, by reason and physics the human body wasn't able to reach that kind of speed, but again nothing that they do after arriving in that world was exactly supposed to be done, so she wasn't all that shocked.

"You are coming or not?" Benji asked to them. Riku was fighting her will to throw up, she was too sick to go across that room, how could someone be ready for such hellish scene with blood, intestines and body parts lying around like that. "I think that we need a little time here." Elle said to Benji. "The newcomer isn't used to this, honestly neither we are."

"I will be going ahead them." Benji replied. "Take this." Junko said while taking out the jacket and throwing it to Benji. Benji grabs it on the air, actually having to move inside the room to get it before it hit the bloodied floor. "It is yours anyway; the shades are in there as well." Benji nodded and puts on the jacket before leaving the area.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Now alone Benji could just let loose and no longer have to worry about restraint, he swiftly runs through the dark tunnels with light and silent steps. Not more than five minutes had passed since Rein was kidnapped, but many things can happen in five minutes and he was worried.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Feeling better now?" Elle asked to Riku after they retreated a bit from the bloodied room. "Yeah, but the scent is really disgusting." Riku replied sited on the floor. "How you people endure it?" "Between getting used and smelling much worse." Makie answered with an uneasy smile as she recalls that she used to be pretty sensitive about that as well.

"As we said this world is pretty dangerous." Jessica commented. "We either adapt to it or die. This place can be quite cruel." Riku notices surprised how everyone remained in silence and haven't said anything about that, letting Riku know without words that what Jessica said was very much true.

"We can't just live in somewhere safe?" Riku asked in a small voice. "Been there tried that." Elle answered bitterly. "It doesn't do us any good, you see we all get some sort of recurrent problem that happens to us time to time. Take Benji as an example, whenever he is getting used to something and his life is getting calmer something happens to ruin that, Junko ends hurting the people that she wants to keep the closest to herself in such way that scars her."

"What about you?" Riku asked confused and a bit scared. "There is this one thing that I want very badly, but I can never get it no matter how much I try." Elle answered honestly. "While these sound like things easy to get along it isn't, Benji after he got used to this world lost the support of the people that gave him the stability, Junko after she trusted on Benji in this extent that I won't describe did things without thinking that broke their relation with drawbacks that I won't detail as well."

"And all that is escalated with fighting, being the attackers monsters or humans." Lucy said seriously. "Very often someone or something for some unknown reason attacks us when our guard is down or when we are unsteady on our feet." "Now that you mention it I think that I did experience some recurring problems." Makie commented seriously, he could recall that every now and then she would lose something important for herself, things that were both valuable and useful for her.

"They are different for everyone." Junko said seriously and a little depressed. "Some are pretty minor, others are pretty bad and the frequency is pretty random as well." Haruka couldn't recall anything like that, she never faced anything that she could call of recurring problems, the closest thing to that was her habit of making mischief to get Benji to punish her in the way that she likes it, it took her sometime to admit that to herself even though she doesn't admit to anyone else.

However Haruka kind of could see the pattern on Benji, based on what she knows about him from what she lived with him and heard from others it was happening rather frequently, first was Mana and Shina leaving, then something with Junko, next what the guild, after the guild Maria, after the WoE it was being attacked and sent to Arunafeltz, after returning to the guild the closest thing that Haruka could classify as disrupting the peace was the sudden attack on the castle and the arrival of the strays, she isn't sure of what, but everything involved lots of combat.

"But once you get used to all the weirdness of this place, or learn to ignore the weirdness this place isn't all that bad." Makie said casually. "Sure there are monsters everywhere, but there are some beautiful places as well." "I can't deny that either." Lucy commented. "Comodo is quite nice, Amatsu is amazing, and there is this nice little lake in Payon that is just perfect for relaxation."

"Amatsu is absolutely fantastic." Haruka said with a smile. "Though the winters can be pretty harsh." "Tell me about it." Junko commented with a sigh, then she slaps her mouth recalling that neither Haruka or Makie know the exact location of her castle, it would be bad if they learned that was around the borders of Amatsu and shared the same climate.

"Well the food is also pretty good if you stay away of the monster made food." Jessica commented. "Yeah, I know that the monster made food gives temporary bonuses but is just too odd to eat something made out of monsters." Haruka commented. "I don't know what kind of people enjoy that."

"In case that you forgot Benji eats monsters pretty often." Makie said teasingly. "Most of the times not even cooked." "Yeah." Junko commented with a nod, she saw Benji doing that before, sure she eats sashimi but Benji takes that to a whole new extreme level. "But you would expect that porings tasted nice since they look cute and jelly like."

Now everyone looks at Junko surprised. "What?!" Junko exclaimed surprised. "I tried it once, they are yucky! And Benji said that he ate a drops before!" "When starving and dying of thirst in the desert after god knows how many days without food." Elle said teasingly. "And he said that it tasted really bad as well."

"But Benji-taisho does eat monsters quite often." Haruka commented, she did recalled Benji eating monsters before, especially in dungeons or when he was wounded or tired. "Atsuko said that he ate a Loli Ruri once." "He does have a liking for female human like monsters on his meals." Elle said recalling that Benji does favor those over beast like monsters or male monsters.

"You know what they say about vampires." Junko commented. "They always goes for virgins of the opposite sex because tastes better." Once again everyone stares at her and Elle smacks Junko upside her head. "You are in a roll today aren't you?" Elle asked annoyed.

"I am just recalling a precedent!" Junko exclaimed rubbing her head, Elle hit the same spot that Haruka did. "Then don't." Elle replied. "Anyway enough with monster eating. There is more on this world than that and this world isn't all that bad once you get used to it."

"But I don't want to get used to it!" Riku exclaimed. "Trust me honey." Jessica said with a sneering smile. "Neither did any of us." Riku instantly becomes silent again and recalls that everyone that she met was in this world by far longer than she was and like her weren't offered an explanation about why and how.

"Anyway we should meet with Shousa." Lucy said after a short while. "Things are too quiet." Now Haruka realized that was truth, they didn't hear anything from the direction that Benji went for a while. "He is fine." Junko commented. "We were just slowing him down anyway, Benji is a solo hunter and we are just hindrances for him."

Elle nodded agreeing. "Most likely he is slicing through the enemy as we speak." She said casually. "He shouldn't be pushing himself like this, but given the gravity of the situation I can overlook it. Trust me girl if your sister is alive he will get her alive, if she is dead rest assured that she will be avenged, at least that he can guarantee."

Junko nods agreeing not so begrudgingly as expected. "Still we should go." Jessica said seriously. "That Rein girl isn't used to this kind of thing as we are, and Benji can be pretty scary." "You do have a point." Haruka commented, she recalled how Benji fights and if wasn't the fact that she loves him and she knows him well, and was rescued by him and fought by his side Benji could be pretty frightening.

"I guess that you are right." Junko said. "Then let's get going. Riku do us a favor and don't look down, we need get across the room." Riku nodded nervously at the idea of walking over the corpses, organs and blood that is covering the room's floor.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

As he hits the ground Benji had to admit that he wasn't expecting to find monsters with machine guns down there. 'But I am thankful for using some of my leftover energy to summon Aliza with some extra armor.' Benji thinks while he hears the human leader of the monsters babbling about fools.

His armor took the entire damage with ease; after all he was using one of his hidden composite armors, one with two middle layers of metal sandwiched between soft armor. 'Let's see, thirty monsters armed with machine guns are between me, the girl and that man.' Benji thought while still playing dead. 'I got two pistols, with eighteen exploding mercury rounds each, thirty six shots, enough to kill everyone and still have some change. I guess that I can use some terror skills to gain extra impact.'

Letting out a dark energy aura Benji slowly stands up to the shock of the laughing man, the girl and to some stent the monsters, it isn't everyday that you see someone take hundreds of shots in the chest and stand up afterwards as if nothing happened. "Shoot me again I am not dead yet." Benji said in an eerie and sarcastic voice.

The surprise and fright was enough to paralyze everyone there, Benji pulls two black pistols from his coat and fires at the monsters, it ended quickly with all the monsters falling on the ground with gaping holes, tore limbs and missing parts of the head or the body.

The man grabs Rein and hides behind her, keeping one arm around her neck and pressing a large silver pistol on her back from behind. "Drop the guns or I kill her." The man said to Benji trying to sound menacing.

"Go ahead and kill her." Benji said in a sneering tone while looking straight at the scared girl and the man behind her. "I don't know her, besides her life is the only thing that is keeping you alive, if you kill her I will just shoot you through her corpse. Alive or dead she has next to no value to me."

Rein was terrified, she thought that he was there to save her, but even in terror she recalled that showing to the person with the hostage that the hostage is important is an error, she knew that she saw someone saying that in a movie once, but being the hostage she can't see the efficacy of that, she wants to be rescued!

Benji couldn't get a really good shot at the man, while possessing a good aim and the distance isn't all that great, the exposed area of the man is minimal, hardly enough to see the eye, there wasn't enough area for him to aim and get a deadly shot, the skull is very hard and he heard about cases of people being shot in the head and the bullet being deflected by the skull, going around it and coming out on the other side of the head leaving an exit wound in an exactly straight line to the entry wound.

Anything other than a deadly shot would make the man shoot on Rein's back, Benji saw the gun, it looked like a desert eagle, the caliber was large enough to any shot in the central mass to be deadly. If the gun was pressed on Rein's head he could try shooting the hand of the man off, but the man was smart enough to keep it covered.

"What about this?" The man said to Benji. "I will walk to the door on my left, enter on it and leave the girl in front of it. What about it? In this way you get the girl and I get out of here alive, it isn't a bad deal is it? In this way we can both get what we want, I will even forget that you killed my trained lizards, I can always find new tools."

The offer wasn't all that bad, Benji knew it, that if he only wanted to get the girl, but Benji also had to put an end to his plans of arming monsters with high grade firearms, if anyone was going to get an loyal army of gunslinger monsters it would be him and no one else!

Rein feels the pressure of the pistol on her back shifting, not in the way that it would if it was moving because the man was adjusting his grip, but because something on it was being moved, she could feel the clicks of the moving parts. She gets air to scream and before she could scream she feels a massive impact on her back, followed by a burning sensation and the feeling of things on her ripping.

As in slow motion Rein could see the bullet flying out of her in a straight line towards Benji, then a jet of misty blood, but before the bullet was halfway between her and Benji, Benji moved, she can't understand anything, she could see his face change in a grimace as he moves to she side, no longer in the path of the bullet and then moving towards her.

Her knees buckle under her weight and Rein's vision blurs, she doesn't see Benji moving beside her and grabbing the man's head with his left hand and he holds on the man's right hand, she barely acknowledges the shrill cry of pain, bones breaking and something tearing.

Benji throws away the semi-decapitated man, he would die, but it would take around a minute for that, a long minute of mind shattering agony and pain, looking at Rein who is flat on her back Benji curses under his breath, she was dead, sure she was breathing with her undamaged lung and her heart was pumping blood madly out of the gaping wound of the size of an apple a bit bellow her right breast, he could see her insides and if he held her vertically he would be able to see through her.

Haruka, Junko, Riko and the others arrive and see in horror Benji standing next to Rein, the blonde was lying in a pool of blood and the wound on her chest was clear to them, even from that distance Elle knew that the girl would die, no healing would save her, not on that moment, maybe if the girl had few levels she would, but not now, and Elle knew that Benji knew that as well.

"Sis!" Riku shouted in horror, rooted the spot unable to move. Junko finds the dying man as he gurgled in agony, she sees the pistol on his crushed hand, she can guess what happened. "Can't you save her?!" Riku shouted in despair to the adventurers. "Don't you people have those inhuman powers?! There isn't anything that you can do?! Anything at all?!"

Benji as everyone else is hurt by the cries, actually a little more than the others. Junko looks at Riku, then at Rein and lastly at Benji, she feels really sorry for the girl, she deserved a chance to live, a chance to live enough to go back to her home. "Benji can't you do that?" Junko asked in a small uneasy voice, knowing all too well how that affected him.

"Please do whatever you can to save her!" Riku begged on tears. "I don't care what it is! Just save her!" Benji looks at Rein and then looks away. "You know as well as I do that the last time that I tried that it failed." Benji said to Junko while clenching his hands in fists.

"That was almost one year ago Benji!" Junko exclaimed. "You know better than anyone else how much powerful you became since then! She deserves a chance Benji!" "Jessie, Lucy." Benji said while turning his back to the girls. "Take Makie and Haruka out and don't let them in unless I say so." "What?!" Haruka and Makie exclaimed surprised as the two girls obey him and easily drag them out of the room without saying one word.

Benji kneels next to Rein and gently lifts her. "Regardless of what they said, of how they begged…" Benji says to the dying girl. "What do you want? I can only offer you a small chance of you living through this, however you won't exactly be human anymore. You won't be the same afterwards, and you won't be ever be able to change back to how you used to be, no matter how much you want it. You will suffer from urges; you will cry, beg, bargain, fight and know that I will stop you time after time, no matter how much you beg for it. What you want?"

Rein weakly mouths yes and then exposes her neck to him, knowing what to do. Benji leans forward and licks some blood from her neck and chin, Junko and Elle watch in silence and fascination, they knew about that ability but it is the first time that they saw Benji using, and Riku was shouting and struggling while held and silenced by Junko. She said for them to do anything that they could, so they are doing.

Benji focuses his remaining energy and opens his mouth as he leans closer of her and sinks his teeth on Rein's white neck, the blonde gasped in pain and her eyes snap open as Benji's teeth tear her skin and flesh until it reaches her artery, then she gasped sweetly as the sensation suddenly changes, the numbness of her body was being replaced by a pleasure that she never felt before.

Riku cries in silence as she sees her sister gasping and moaning as what she could only call a monster drinks her blood in large mouthfuls. Rein's body suddenly starts to spasm lightly and she cries a bit louder. Junko and Elle could tell that the cries weren't cries of pain, but ecstasy.

Then Rein stops moving and mewling, her body goes limp on Benji's arms to Riku's despair, after short moments Rein's body shakes and they hear a deep gasping breath. Benji pulls away from her and while keeping her upper body leaning on his left leg Benji takes out his long coat, he gently wraps her on it, carefully covering her body before he picks her on his arms and stands up.

"Is she alive?" Junko asks in a mix of anxiety and expectative. "For now." Benji answered while turning to them. "I am not sure if it will work or not, just time will tell." "Sis! Sis!" Riku exclaimed while rushing to Rein, tearing herself from Junko's hands. Rein doesn't say anything; she only stares at nothing with half open glassy blue eyes.

"What you did to her?!" Riku shouted at Benji as not seeing any reaction from Rein. "What you asked for." Benji said in a cold voice. "You never heard about the saying 'watch for what you wish for'?" Benji turns to Junko. "You agree with this?" Benji asked to her.

"Yes." Junko answered with a nod, holding her right arm uncomfortably, now that she saw Benji performing that she regretted that she did. "I take Riku and Rein is yours." "What?!" Riku questioned not understanding. "Now things are different." Elle said in a serious tone. "Before your sister was taken you two would stay together with either Benji or Junko to watch over you two, but now that isn't possible. It is clear that you won't settle with Benji, and Rein can't live away from Benji now."

"What?" Riku asked even more confused. "Why?!" "I devoured what was left of her life." Benji explained. "I mixed with mine and returned to her body while healing the damage. She is my slave now, infused with a fraction of my life and powers." Riku stared at Benji in horror. "You really could have worded that much better." Junko commented.

Benji shrugs at the comment. "Anyway Elle collect the guns, three of each, get all the ammo that you find." Benji said to the older woman. "Jessica, Lucy you can come in with them." Benji shouted to the doorway. Instantly Haruka enters on the room and is followed by Makie.

"You two return to the castle." Benji instructs to the two. "Go into the depot three, get some girls to help you two, I want a bed, a table, a chair and a chest of drawers there, now." Haruka was about to protest but Makie stops her. "Not now." Makie said seriously. "For now we obey, later we question." Haruka nods weakly and teleport away from there.

"Jessica, Lucy take Riku away from here." Junko said for them. "Later I will explain to her the situation with more calm, for now I need to discuss something with him." The two nod and hold the protesting Riku and teleport away from the room. "I want to hear from her after something happen." Junko said to Benji in a serious tone. "I need to give Riku some news."

"I will let you know if anything change." Benji replied. "Don't raise her hopes all that high, as far as I know it can end badly at any moment." "I know, I will explain things for her." Junko said. "Want the jacket back?" Benji asked. "No." Junko replied. "It is yours anyway. I was with it just because it was on my reach when I warped here. Anyway, I will grab myself a couple of rifles."

Benji shrugs and let Junko take the guns. After a while she leaves the room as well leaving only Benji, Elle and the still non-responding Rein there. Suddenly several Alizas appear in the room. "I want you all to search for firearms, ammo and anything that isn't natural in a room or is a monster in a half kilometer radius area from here." Benji says to the maids. "Then return to the reverse castle with everything that you find and wait for further instructions."

"Yes master!" The army of maids answered as one; after all they are one, sharing one conscience. Then several Chris appear in the room, half of them holding a large bag. "After Aliza is done I want you all to place explosives in this place." Benji commands to the army. "As far as the fuse cords can go, centered on this room and spreading in every direction and entering in every room that it can, once it is all set all but one of you go, then the last will lithe the fuse and go back to the reverse castle. Is that clear?"

"Yes sir my master!" All of them answered as one before moving out to fulfill their task. "You are sure of this?" Elle asked to Benji in a serious tone. "Yes." Benji answered in the same way. "Whatever it can't be located will be destroyed or buried in the sand. The explosion of the alchemic explosives will weaken the tunnels around the blast radius, with some luck most of the sewer will collapse and bury any secrets with it."

Elle can't really protest against that, any firearms on Earth level was too dangerous to leave it alone, and given the amount of monsters there it was better if the sewers were destroyed, besides with the queen around was better off like that, sending expeditions there would be risky when counting her and whatever other types of unknown monsters that lurk in there.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Atsuko and Layla are waiting for Benji and Elle by the castle's gate and they are surprised by the two teleports, Elle wasn't any different from when she left, other than few specs of dirt on her clothes, Benji in the other hand was with an armored outfit and with weapons hung on his belt, and above everything he was carrying a unknown woman on his arms. What shocks them the most is the absent look on her glassy eyes, totally unresponsive to everything.

"Master what happened?" Layla asked worried. "It is a long story and I will tell you all later." Benji answered. "It is enough to know that things were worse than we wanted and right now she needs my full attention." Layla nodded in silence and so does Atsuko, while worried and curious about what happened they knew that in that moment it wasn't the time to press for answers on anything.

Benji spots Yami and summons her. "Deal with that thing that Aliza took to the reverse dungeon." Benji commanded to the blonde slave. "I want to you to extract everything out of him." "Yes my master." Yami replied without a hint of her usual sarcasm or disdain, she knows that it won't be tolerated. "I already know what to pursue."

"Good." Benji said while walking towards the castle, Rein needed to rest, and Elle would make sure that everything was normal before Benji laid her to rest in the underground storeroom.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

After ushering Makie and Haruka out of the depot turned to room Elle is examining Rein closer and with calm. "Well all the damage caused by the shot was healed with the infusion of life force." Elle said to Benji after examining Rein's breasts and body. "Not even a scar left, even from the bite, you are getting better on the stealing part. So out of curiosity is she…?"

"Virgin?" Benji asked while leaned in a wall inside the room. "Yes, she is. Trust me on this Elle, I can tell. As much as I didn't want to." "So it is true that virgins taste better?" Elle asked honestly curious. "It is a more delicate flavor." Benji answered with a frown and a smile. "Intense as well, but different from a woman, a mature woman has a different intensity and a whole different bouquet…"

Benji hits his forehead with his fist. "Please tell me that I am not comparing blood of a virgin and a woman as if I was judging two different wines…" Benji muttered truly annoyed. "Well you are, not that I am judging you." Elle commented. "I am honestly curious about it and isn't good to repress those, let it out and speak about it, just shutting them off will be harmful if ever surfaces."

"I guess so." Benji said in a tired voice. "Look it is hard to explain, Layla tastes different from Atsuko, Haruka is different than both, there are similarities as all of them have this same strength because they aren't virgin anymore, while Rein's blood is way different. I am not sure if because she is a virgin or because she doesn't have levels."

It was a valid doubt and Elle gave that to him. "So how are you feeling?" Elle asked. "Too well for my liking." Benji answered. "I am pretty sure that I am fully recovered now." Elle would have to exam Benji but that is for later. "I check that later, from what I can tell this girl should be awake." Elle commented. "Maybe she is in some sort of trance, or induced sleep, I am not too sure of anything."

Benji moves closer of Rein and gently closes her eyes. "For now let's let her rest." Benji said to Elle. "After what she has gone through she needs it more than anything." "You are staying here aren't you?" Elle asked while standing up. "Yeah." Benji answered. "I still need sometime to get rid of the taste of blood, and she shouldn't stay alone now, not like this, besides she will feel better if someone is here when she wakes up."

'When and if she does.' Both Benji and Elle thought. "I will send Alice down here with something for you to eat." Elle said. "Real food will help you get over it sooner." Benji thanked Elle and sits in the lone chair of the room after she leaves the room. Saving Rein like that had triggered memories that Benji preferred to no recall of, and he knows very well that Rein won't have a easy life thanks to that, his single comfort on that is that unlike him Rein at least has someone to guide her through the changes that she will experience.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Haruka finds Elle after she leaves the depot and the area where Benji's Valkyries slaves are guarding, Makie is standing near to her as well. "We need to talk." Makie said seriously to the healer. "You know things about our condition and haven't told us about and we want to know."

Elle knew that she couldn't just refuse, but at the same time she just couldn't just tell them everything. "We have theories." Elle says to them. "First, every successful outcast is Japanese or has Japanese blood to some extend, Benji is the one who connected that one."

Haruka and Elle remained in silence, but the information surprised them. "Second, every outcast has some sort of recurring problem that disturbs his or hers life. Junko who is one of the longest cases of outcasts that we are aware of came with this one." Elle continued. "The only case recorded without that is Maria; we are assuming that she is being spared for now because she is too young to deal with it."

One again the duo remains in silence. "Third every outcast has potential to break safeties." Elle said seriously. "However only Benji, Junko and myself know exactly how to bend, bypass, break or disable the safeties, Benji was the one who discovered this and taught us. And now we won't pass this knowledge to the two of you, especially you Haruka, I made some research on you, it was recorded that you killed several adventurers with your spells in combat before Benji sealed you."

"What? How he sealed me?" Haruka asked truly confused, she doesn't recall any kind of ritual being performed to her by Benji, but again many times she was unconscious during or after she had sex with Benji, given that she fainted quite often with hard sex. "It doesn't matter." Elle replied. "You were being too reckless; you killed some adventurers that weren't on the bad side as Benji classifies them when you cast your alabaster fire."

"Well it does explain why when I first used the adventurers vanished from the attacked area and afterwards there was a trail of 'killed' people." Haruka commented recalling the second and subsequent uses of the spell in combat. "Moving on." Makie said bringing Haruka back to the topic.

"That is all that I feel like I can tell you." Elle said to them in a serious tone. "Trust me on this, Benji is doing you two and all the other ones a huge favor here, a favor that none of us had, so accept it silently, none of you are ready for this, Junko pushed Benji too hard, too fast and too soon, while Benji was a willingly participant and I was supporting them in the whole way we all regret that we forced things that should take time, Benji still pays pretty dearly for that. He is protecting you all from some pretty nasty stuff."

"Isn't our right to decide that?" Makie asked angry that her opinion wasn't even asked before those decisions were made. "That is true." Elle answered with a superior smile. "But it is our right to decide in sharing our knowledge with you, and you are here for a while and never realized several stuff that the other us learned much sooner, so without us you wouldn't learn anything. So don't come bringing up rights or duties as reasons to tell you what we don't want to, it is a shared condition between us all, but the knowledge is individual, and without today's incident you would remain blissful ignorant to this until we decided to tell you anything."

Makie couldn't contest that at all, still she was angry that the information was denied to her, but she couldn't do much about it even though much of her want to extract the information out of the healer, her rational mind was the only thing holding her back, some of the reasons is that Elle was there much longer than she is, and Makie can tell that Elle isn't only a passive healer and if confronted she could show things that were better of hidden, another is that if she attacked Elle Benji would most likely beat her up for that. And Makie was well aware of Benji's strength and how superior to hers it is.

"What Benji did to that girl?" Haruka asked to Elle deciding to change the subject to something also pressing. "Shortly he saved her life." Elle answered calmly. "And no I won't explain how, you just need to know that now she has to be under Benji's constant watch in the case of things ending as expected or badly, either way he has to keep her close and guide her, he is the only one who can."

Haruka was frustrated, she was used to being denied secrets, but this was too much for her, there was too many secrets that she was being denied, if she wasn't aware of them it would be much easier, as Elle said to Makie being blissfully ignorant of things was indeed a blessing.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Do you like the room?" Junko asked to Riku while entering on the room where the girl is staying. "It has a nice view, but if you don't like it there is still plenty more that you can check later." Riku glares at the brunette. "It isn't bad for a cell in a tower." Riku spat angrily.

Junko sighed at the reply and puts a tray of food on the room's table. "This isn't a prison cell." Junko said seriously. "I have a dungeon bellow the castle for that, I admit that locking you here was a bit rough, but you weren't exactly cooperative you know it? Anyway if you are calmer now I can answer few questions to you."

"What is going on?!" Riku asked angrily. "What that…that…monster of a man did to my sister?!" Junko sighed again, but she expected that kind of response. "Did exactly what you asked for." Junko answered calmly. "Put your hand on your heart and think hard on what you begged to us before that."

Riku feels her chest tightening at that, she knew that what Junko said was truth; she begged them to do anything at all to save Rein. "What he did?" Riku asked driving back her anger and confusion. "It is hard to explain and honestly I don't understand it all that well either, Benji only did that once before today." Junko said seriously. "And back then he failed immediately."

Junko fishes a stick of carrot from one of the plates in the tray and bites it. "And we don't have any idea of what will happen next." Junko added while munching on the vegetable. "Understand this your sister can die at any given moment, however she might as well live a closer to normal life."

Riku doesn't say anything back to Junko who is dipping the carrot on a white sauce. "And if things go right?" Riku asked worried. "Benji will protect and guide her." Junko answered. "Her life is his now, he paid for it with some of his life, she belongs to him and is this is a success she will understand that and act accordingly."

"She has no choice at all?" Riku asked. "Her choice was dying or become his." Junko answered. "She choose it already otherwise Benji would have let her die, you saw that he asked her what she wished, she wished to live even if as his eternal slave. You came with me for two reasons, first back then you were too emotional to understand anything, second, if your sister does lives she has a really hard patch ahead of her, a patch that will be better threaded without you near her, it will be easier for her, less humiliating."

"What he will do to her?" Riku asked afraid of what could happen to Rein. "Your sister got some of Benji's life, that means that she got the same problems that he does thanks to some things that I did to him, she will need to learn how to deal with a whole new set of desires, instincts and problems." Junko answered seriously. "She will cry, beg, hurt, and do much more things trying to get what she wants, even though what she wants is bad. Therefore to keep her image of her the same that you have now, you shouldn't see what she will do. Showing it to you would only strain or break your relation."

Junko finishes the carrot and allows the information sink on Riku's mind. "Enough with your sister for now." Junko said after few minutes. "Now you eat your food, it is really good, and you need the energy. In two days we will start training you." "Training me in what?" Riku asked confused.

"To be an adventurer." Junko answered. "That is how people call us, anyway, as far as we know, we come to this place to gain powers, since we can evolve much faster than the naturals of this world, don't worry about equipment or anything like that, I will pay for everything until you can stand on your feet."

"Then what?" Riku asked seriously. "Then you can do whatever you want to." Junko answered casually. "Look there is this not so spoken agreement between us, well at least between the ones that I know, we, the ones that are in this world longer will give assistance to newcomers, being that help in their arrival or economical support until they are mature as adventurers and used to this world."

"You mean that I can just leave?" Riku asked surprised. "Yeah, look you aren't a prisoner." Junko said seriously. "You are held for now because if left alone you would get yourself killed or worse, but once you are used to this world you are free to come and go, no strings attached. You aren't forced to be loyal to me, if I earned your loyalty I will be glad if you want to stay, but if you want to leave I won't force you to stay when that time comes."

Riku nodded understanding and wonders what kind of troubles would make someone act like that to total strangers. "So if I said that I wanted to join that Benji man I could?" Riku asked. "Yes." Junko answered. "If he accepts you in his group, you can leave to go there, honestly I wouldn't be surprised anyway since your sister is there and she can't leave." Junko answered. "But for now don't worry about it, worry only in resting."

"What we are supposed to do?" Riku asked. "Beats me." Junko answered with a shrug. "I am here for years and I still haven't found a meaning or a reason for why we were sent here." "I meant as adventurers." Riku replied. "Ahh… well we fight." Junko said casually. "We fight and kill monsters, protect cities from monsters when they are being attacked, essentially we become better fighting machines, if you are lucky you can find other things to do."

"Like?" Riku asked. "Well it depends." Junko commented. "Benji got his guild/harem and he takes care of them with a great amount of care and jealousy, I have this clan but I lost a quite lot of meaning a little over a year ago because something stupid that I did, one of the things that I do is to rescue forgotten classes because their powers and abilities."

"What that Benji being a heavy power type and you being a mid weight speed type means?" Riku asked recalling a conversation in the tunnel after Benji left them. "It means our body types and strengths." Junko explained. "I am quite fast but I lack in sheer strength and endurance, while I am tall and have broad shoulders thanks to the fact that I used to be a swimmer I won't be as strong as Benji."

Junko sighs recalling of that. "Benji's body is naturally strong, sturdy and resilient, you can tell by his build." Junko continued. "That kind of things translates in how easily we can develop particular traits and we get bonuses on them as well. It is a bit complex and we are still figuring things out, I mean we call Benji a heavy power type, but he is really fast and supple as well, he has more things and that makes really unfair because he pays so little on everything."

"Pays?" Riku asked confused. "We get points as we evolve, we distribute them among attributes. What is truly means that we are mystically enhancing our natural attributes." Junko explained. "An example of that is Benji tearing and lifting that piece of the ruin's street above our heads and then throwing it at the monsters, normal people don't do that."

Riku had to agree with that, and she understood, it meant that as they evolved as Junko named it they can get much stronger and develop those attributes. "However it takes time to get on those levels." Junko added. "Trust me, Benji is here for two years." Riku nodded understanding, but now that she knows that she can become strong it gives her comfort in the idea that she might become strong enough to defend herself from monsters.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Hey I heard that there was a mess here earlier today." Juliet said while walking towards Atsuko and Layla. "Is that true?" "Yes." Atsuko answered. "Benji dealt with it a long time ago." "And where is he?" Juliet asked casually, her order made some candied limes and she was there to give some to them, that bit of extra courtesy between the two groups made everyone feel closer. "I got some stuff that I brought for your guys."

"According to Elle he is busy with this girl that he rescued earlier today." Layla answered while taking the offered jar from the knight. "Still it amazes me that you out of all people make stuff like that." Atsuko commented while seeing the conserved fruits. "Honestly I thought that the diamond order was a full battle inclined order."

"Why that?" Juliet asked actually surprised with that. "I mean it is a known fact that convents and other church buildings like that make their own stuff and even sell them out, besides we don't fight all day long every day, we need other means to survive as well."

"Still is odd." Atsuko commented. "I kind of like of the idea." Layla chimed. "Having more skills than combative ones is good, plus making things like this is an assured source of income." "And nice winter provisions." Juliet added. Atsuko couldn't deny that, but still felt wrong, for her adventurers should live by fighting monsters.

"And my superiors said thank you for the cherries." Juliet said to them. "You should thank Benji for that." Layla replied. "They are quire good aren't they?" "Yeah, we made some really good cakes with them." Juliet answered happily. Atsuko sighs and decides to leave; her image of adventurers and knights is crumbling because of the two.

Atsuko knows how to cook but she wouldn't say that loved cooking, though she admitted that she liked when Benji ate and praised her food, but was clear that the two knights shared a liking for it as they continue to chat about food and cooking. She spots an Alice leaving the dinning hall pushing a cart filled with covered plates.

Atsuko knew that she was taking food out, that thing was made to allow the maids or the guild girls take food to other locations without risking spilling, normally the destination was Benji's office, but the Alice was moving on the wrong way. "That is for Benji." Elle said after she noticed Atsuko as she leaves the dinning hall. "Because he is watching over the girl she will be taking down some food for him, he used a lot of energy today."

"We are still not allowed to go on that part of the castle?" Atsuko asked to the brunette. "Yes." Elle answered. "Things are in a delicate phase right now, Benji and I hardly know what we are doing, so the least interruptions or distractions better." Atsuko nodded understanding.

"And Benji said that he might call one of you later." Elle added. "Stress relief." Atsuko nodded with an understanding smile, knowing very well what Elle meant as stress relief. "Just answer me this." Atsuko said seriously. "Is he hurt?" "No he isn't." Elle answered honestly. "He is fine."

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"No change?" Elle asked to Benji as she enters on the depot turned into bedroom. "Not at all." Benji answered while stretching, almost one entire day had gone by and there weren't signs of changes on Rein. "Well we should give her some more time." Elle commented. "She isn't a monster and the process is different as well."

Benji nodded agreeing. "And you should take a break." Elle added. "I know that you only spared a little time yesterday to be with Layla, and as much as we know how it relaxes and improves someone's mood, we both know that you didn't that for those reasons. How much energy you got from her?"

"Not much." Benji answered with a sigh. "Around three percent." Elle knew the amount that he meant, while it sounded little it was quite much. "And Layla isn't showing any kind of drawbacks." Elle commented amazed, that was far beyond a knight's improved recovery. "So sex is indeed a source of great power."

"You doubts of thousands of years of mysticism and superstition of several different and unrelated cultures?" Benji asked teasingly. "Sexcraft, the power of sex or just ritual sex is mentioned in several different cultures that never had contact between them. That is more than a coincidence right?"

"Now I believe, but I am surprised that you actually do that." Elle replied. "I try not to, but in the past months it was their energy that healed me." Benji said seriously. "The energy is exchanged in the process, charged and liberated on the climax, the brunt of it is taken by the female, all that I do is tap on it."

"So it feels any different?" Elle asked curious, those supernatural things always arouse her curiosity. "Normally when I do that they get stronger, longer, more intense and almost every time multiple orgasms related to the pleasure of the 'kiss'." Benji answered. "Thankfully I don't feel anything like that, if I did I am not sure if I would stop."

Elle nodded understanding, the 'kiss' as Benji called the process of sucking energy out of other beings was extremely pleasurable, once Elle experimented and had Benji sucking her energy, it felt like sex but without sex, it only got more intense as more energy Benji stole from her, and she recalled how badly she cried when Benji stopped, all the pleasure that snowballed inside her stopped growing and she could still feel it after a long time after he stopped.

Her best guess about why it feels so good is that is a trapping mechanism, if it hurt the victim would fight back making the act hard and potentially dangerous, but if feels good the victim's struggle would be much smaller and eventually the victim would surrender to the predator, the ultimate reward for that is a climax that Elle can't imagine the intensity just as the last bit of energy is drained out of the victim, a final and very fatal ecstasy.

And on Benji's side it also felt good, Benji couldn't describe the sensation for her as she couldn't pinpoint the feelings herself, but Elle is sure that for Benji stop on the middle of the 'kiss' required a huge amount of willpower. Elle was fascinated with the newly discovered process that Benji told her about.

"How much energy you have now?" Elle asked. "Around twenty percent." Benji answered. "Before the battle I was around seventy and something." Elle nodded understanding, it was a huge lot of energy, and given the fact that even Benji's natural spiritual energy production was halted thanks to his watch, all that energy was taken from his lovers through the months, which improved his condition.

Elle then recalled that she got distracted with the new information, she mutters something about being too easily distracted and looks at Benji. "You need to rest; you are still wearing the same clothes that you were yesterday." Elle said seriously. "I know that you are being careful and considerate, but you need to rest as well, the strain isn't good for you even thought your body is fully recovered."

"I am fine." Benji replied. "Look I am used to this kind of thing, my body won't deteriorate without few hours of sleep. Besides just god knows what she will do when she wakes."

Elle was aware of that, Rein got Benji's powers, that also means his 'desires' and affinities, Rein would seek for energy, lust for it and she is far too inexperienced to ignore that, Elle knows that Benji is waiting for Rein to try to attack someone, it will happen, the issue was when.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Rein wakes feeling hot, uneasy and with an odd mix of tiredness and restfulness. She first notices that she is inside an unfamiliar room, that she is dressed and resting on a soft bed, and it was then when she gets a little relaxed that the memories return to her. Sitting in despair she starts to feel her right breast and chest, she let out a sigh of relief at the fact that there wasn't anything there, but that was odd as she recalled very well being shot there.

"At last." Benji said after the girl started rubbing her own breast, a bit amused that she haven't noticed him yet, he was big and he was wearing strong colors. Rein let out a yelp of surprise at his voice and presence.

"Master?" Rein replied questioningly, and inwardly wondering why she called him like that or why felt natural to her do so. "Yes." Benji said, not truly surprised with how she addressed him. "I was starting to get worried since you haven't show signs of recovery until now. How are you feeling?"

"Considering that I was shot quite well." Rein answered, and then she recalls something else and touches her neck. "It healed along the one on your chest." Benji said with a smile. "And no I am not a vampire." "Then how?" Rein asked confused, what she recalled from him matched really well what vampires do, other than walking on the sun. "It is hard to explain and you won't understand it right now." Benji said casually. "At the moment we have other concerns, are you hungry?"

"Now that you mention it." Rein replied feeling her stomach hurting a little. "But at the same time isn't like I am hungry." "It doesn't matter." Benji said while picking a tray of food from a cart next to the table. "Shove it down if needed." "Yes master." Rein replied uneasily while taking the offered tray.

The food looked really delicious, rare steak, onions and lettuce salad, rice dumplings and rolled leaf vegetables, but other than the bleeding steak nothing else attracted Rein's attention that strongly. When Rein tries to swallow it down she starts to cough. "Keep it down." Benji said in a strong tone, he knew so well what she is going through.

With a loud sound Rein swallows down the piece of meat. "Why it is like this?" Rein asked confused. "I like beef, but why my body responded like this?" "Is a side effect." Benji answered seriously. "While you haven't devoured energy as I did to you, I transferred to you a nice amount of it, along with that fact you gained some of the problems that I have."

"You are allergic?" Rein asked tentatively. "Hell no!" Benji exclaimed. "I love meat, trust me by choice I would be carnivore. Once you devour energy your body too quickly adapts to it and make you hunger for it, you lusted that bleeding steak hasn't you?" Rein nodded weakly. "Blood is one of the means of finding raw energy." Benji added. "You know by instinct how to find the energy and hunger for it."

"Then I want to drink blood?" Rein asked confused, sick and worried. "Yes, and trust me, when actively sucking energy through blood it tastes delicious." Benji answered. "Otherwise isn't all that much. Anyway I don't indent to let you turn into an energy sucking monster, so keep eating or I will shove the food down on your throat with a stick."

"Yes master." Rein replied scared of him, she can tell that he will fulfill his threat if needed to. "And I will eventually teach you how to control the hunger as well how to devour energy." Benji said while sitting on the table. "That kind of thing is a last resort that you should have to use on emergencies only, and once you get used to it you eventually subdues the hunger and it becomes fully voluntary with no sudden lusts."

Rein admitted that it sounded good, and seriously wonder why she is taking all that so naturally, after few moments of pondering she risks it as something that she got from him on that mysterious energy thing, not knowing how right she is.

After a while Rein stops eating. "Where is the restroom?" Rein asked embarrassed. "See the curtain on that corner?" Benji answered pointing to the furthest left corner of the room. Rein nodded positively at that. "In there you will find a portable toilet, toilet paper and a trash can." Benji continued after getting the affirmative nod. "Use it, next to it there is a barrel with ash, when you are done throw two pails of ash in the toilet."

Rein gets even more embarrassed than before. "Is that standard?" she asked with her face crimson. "No." Benji answered. "It is specially for you, at least that one, we do have others like that for use in other situations. Toilet in here are quite close of the norm."

"Why?!" Rein whined, if toilets were close of what she was used to why he pushed that on her. "Because I won't let you use the common restroom." Benji explained calmly. "You are a risk, until I am sure that you aren't a risk anymore you will get the commodities back."

"Why I am being treated like an animal?" Rein asked in confusion and shock "I am being caged here?!" "Yes you are caged here." Benji answered. "But not as an animal, understand this, I have one hundred people living two floors above this room, I am responsible for all of their lives and safety while they are inside this place, letting you walk freely in your current state endangers everyone of them and you as well." Rein could understand that, she really could, and in other situations she even agreed with that, but not when she was the one arrested!

"Look this is temporary." Benji added. "And if makes you feel better I was in a similar condition as well, you are lucky because now that I know what to do you have comforts and experience that I didn't had when I suffered from this." Rein feels her anger withering away, how she could feel angry when comparing things like that, sure she was in house arrest, but the room was quite comfortable, the food was good and she is being treaded well.

"How long I will stay in here?" Rein asked in an apologetic voice. "Until I am sure that you are able to walk around without attacking anyone or anything that shouldn't be attacked and sucking them dry." Benji answered. "As long as that takes." Rein frowns at the idea of staying there for so long.

"If you have the same problems why you have that much freedom?" Rein asked feeling a little angry. "Who is stopping you from sucking people dry?" "Fair question." Benji said casually. "No one other than me is what stands between me and a feeding frenzy. However what it took me a rather long period of time to gradually experience will happen to you very fast and hard, that difference is what separates us in the treatment, and the fact that I learned how to deal with the thirst, even though it is still there."

And it was an argument that Rein couldn't find words to contest. "I was in isolation too when it first happened." Benji explained. "I almost went insane with the desire of getting energy along with other things that I won't explain now, it took me a while to subdue it and learn how to keep the control. And if makes things better have made a rough and still under development schedule over what we will do about this and other stuff, including outings."

It did make Rein feel a little better. "Any previews?" Rein asked hopefully. "Or an idea of what to expect?" "Nothing new for the next couple days, other than a medical check up later today." Benji answered. "This first week will be observation only, I never did this kind of thing to anyone, well this is the second time and the first that it actually worked, so I don't know much of what is happening or might happen."

It was a sensitive worry and Rein had to accept it, in his place she would do the same. "Other than medical check ups if deemed needed, and I will be here all the time to make sure that you don't try eating the doctor." Benji said in a half casual and half serious tone. "The only other person that will enter here will be one of the maids who will collect the contents of the toilet once every two days and will be bringing the food down here every day."

"With you here to make sure that I don't eat the maid." Rein said in a lightly annoyed but mostly teasingly tone. "Yup." Benji replied playfully with a nod. "And feel free to lick the maid as you see fit, she will like it." He added teasingly. "They taste good." Rein blushes madly at Benji's not subtle remark, trying to deny very hard the fact that part of her mind actually considered the option.

"Do I even want to know how you know that the maids taste good?" Rein asked embarrassed. "I eat them regularly." Benji answered teasingly. "Is what makes my hair shiny and glossy." Rein chuckled at the perverted joke and relaxes a little, wondering if things will be better than it sounded.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"I knew it." Elle said while looking at Rein's open mouth. "She is starting to grow fangs, her rate is several times faster than yours." Rein is just confused and embarrassed and keeps her mouth open while Elle speaks to Benji. "At this rate we will need to feed her with calcium supplements."

"We do have the eggshells powder that I keep around and feed to Maria." Benji commented. "It is pure calcium supplement, regular intake will compensate the changes." Elle nodded agreeing, it was clear that the bodily adaptations that are connected to the strengthening of the body to the stress of the power requirements of a life of fighting and adventuring was happening too fast for regular food to cover the new needs.

"Do I have to stay like this more?" Rein asked with her mouth open. "You can close it now." Elle answered. "From what I can tell you are perfectly fine, but with higher nutritional requirements and clearly a bit thinner than before, we will adapt your diet for such case, and the number of meals will increase to five, three main meals and two inter meal snacks."

"I can live with that." Rein commented. "But that eggshell thing sounds nasty." "Actually is quite tasteless." Elle replied. "The eggshells are dried in a oven, then turned into a very fine powder with the use of a mortar, the powder is added to food or drinks. Benji feeds that to an seven years old, so if a child can eat it so can you."

Rein couldn't counter that, if she did she would sound more immature than a child. "Well I am done with the exam." Elle said casually. "I want check her up again in two days to see if there is any progress." Benji nodded at that and watches Elle leaving. "Can I at least get a book or something?" Rein asked to Benji who is about to leave as well. "And when I can bathe?" "I will get you a book, and on the bathing I will call the maids and bring in the furo that we bought yesterday." Benji answered.

"Furo?" Rein asked confused. "A Japanese bathtub." Benji explained. "Well is a rather simple one anyway, I will explain with more details when it is here." Rein nodded and watches Benji leaving and shutting the door, at least she had deck of cards to entertain herself.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Benji relaxes a little on his office, Rein seemed to be taking things well and hasn't shown any signs of bloodlust yet, it was a good thing. And for his lovers it meant a time that they can expend with him, thing that they eagerly do. Benji was seriously considering moving the office to another room and keeping his current one as the private one, given the fact that it was the spot where he mostly relaxed in the castle, leading from the other spots.

Maria happily bursts into the room clad on her swordswoman clothes. "Benji!" Maria exclaimed while running towards him. Layla chuckled at the girl, and is inwardly content that they were just being there idly amusing themselves with their own pastimes.

Mari jumps on Benji's lap and hugs his chest. Benji puts the book that he was reading down to pay attention to the little girl. Layla returns to her ikebana, Atsuko continues with her chess game with Erika, and Haruka keeps writing things down on her spell book.

"I am sorry." Alexis said when entering on the office. "I was speaking to Teresa and Maria just ran when I was distracted." "It is okay, as long she is behaving out there some mischief can be allowed in here." Benji replied casually. "Any problems?" "Nothing at all." Alexis answered. "I will be leaving, Raki still wants to level some more."

Benji nodded understanding, Raki seemed determined to go through the multi-classing as fast as possible while Maria was taking things in a more leisurely pace, and for the moment is telling Benji how her day was, the whole Rein's arrival incident long forgotten.

Benji listens to the girl's tales of adventuring as he normally does, for him was a good way to just slow down and take a breath, remind himself that life isn't only about hard stuff and can be quite bright, and Maria was quite cute in her pinkish colored swordswoman outfit and the black cat ears that he gave her.

Benji knew that it was too otakuish of him to give her that, but Maria did liked his cat ears and was quite happy when he gave her a pair, plus was cute, he was after all an anime fan, he wouldn't just deny his roots like that, even with the amazing powers that he gained, it was his otakuness that allowed him to mentally adapt to the situation and understand what happened.

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Rein looks at the bathing implements that were taken to her room, she was really uncomfortable in using them, especially the so called washing area, with was a inclined wood deck where the water would run to a corner and fall on a large bucket, fitted inside it is the furo itself, a large barrel shaped tub now filled with warm water.

As Benji explained she was supposed to wash outside the tub with water from a barrel next to the washing area, adapted to have a crude shower made out of a bucket, a valve and a showerhead. The washing area has waterproof curtains surrounding it giving her some privacy, but she still can't make herself bath on that hellish device.

Only the fact that Benji said that the water would only be changed in the next morning prevented Rein from bathing as she was used to, and since was the only way for her to get herself clean, and she was starting to smell a little, she resigns herself on bathing there.

'At least I have soap here.' Rein thought slightly annoyed with the fact that she has to ration water to have enough warm water to shower and bath. The floor was proving to be rather slip proof, so she eventually relaxes and scrubs herself with more concentration.

Outside the locked room one Aliza and one Alice are quietly waiting, they were assigned to deal with Rein's needs in terms of refilling the tub, taking away the dirty water as well cleaning the toilet's reservoir, all that under Benji's watchful eyes to prevent attacks, but for now they are alone with two Valkyries since Benji left to give Rein privacy to bath.

Half an hour later Rein calls the maids, who call Benji, while Rein locked the room from the inside with a bar the room was also locked in the outside with the key, the inside lock was just to please Rein's sense of privacy and security. And in ten minutes the two maids take away the waste water barrel away after thoroughly drying the washing area, they also take away Rein's dirty clothes.

"If this keeps up for a long time I will get really mad." Rein said to Benji, it was very inconvenient to live like that, always under Benji's eyes, isolated from everyone else in a rather well lithe but windowless underground room. Benji knew that was inconvenient and quite annoying, but it beats the cell like room where he locked himself on, Rein even had a bed and all that he had was some padding!

"As I said this is something that will take time." Benji replied. "Look we will get things more comfortable as we move forward, think like this, four days ago this was just a empty depot, now it has every comfort than most of hotel rooms of this world has to offer."

"Other than windows, freedom, privacy and entertainment." Rein muttered. "You have privacy here." Benji replied. "The only time that you don't have privacy is when someone else is here and I come in with them, and when I am here to check on you." "What about the two guards outside?" Rein asked.

"They are here for your protection." Benji answered. "As well to protect everyone else, they keep everyone else away from here, and if something happens to you I will know quickly. And aren't they the ones whom you ask for things when I am not around?"

Rein couldn't deny that, whenever she needed something she called the guards and told them that she wanted something and one of them leaves to tell Benji about the request, which normally ended with Benji entering on the room after a while with the requested stuff.

And after two days like that the room was a little lively than before, but that was because one of the maids brought a bamboo vase with flowers, few books and a couple of one person games there to keep her busy. "I kind of wanted to stretch my legs." Rein said with a sigh, she was awake for a little less than two days and she was already tired of being coped inside the room.

"I can arrange some walking time." Benji replied. "But I am pretty sure that you won't like of the conditions." Now Rein is unsure if she wants to ask what those are, but the desire of going out was bigger than her fear so she asked. "What are the conditions?"

"One, I would be with you." Benji answered. "Two, you would be chained…" "Chained?!" Rein exclaimed. "You mean like a dog or something?!" "Pretty much." Benji replied. "It prevents you from running away if you suddenly goes crazy."

And as much as she wanted to protest Rein can't as she recalls that the whole purpose of her isolation was to prevent her from attacking people or rampaging, but the idea of being walked like a dog was too humiliating and unsettling for her to just endure silently.

"Anyway I will arrange the chains." Benji said seriously. "Even if you agree with it, we will only walk at night, when there is less risk of meeting someone." Rein nodded agreeing, it would give her time to think about it, or at least silence the part of her that is screaming 'murder' on her mind, as quite much of her mind had made up her mind in accepting being walk, she was already calling him master anyway, how different that was from accepting stuff like that.

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Rein felt worse than she imagined that she would, when Benji mentioned chains she thought that would be something around her waist and perhaps hands, not a steel collar and a chain, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was on a leash, but at least she is seeing some other place than the depot turned into room.

"If wasn't for the leash this would be rather nice." Rein said while gazing at the large 'garden' of the reverse castle. "I feel like a dog taking a walk." Benji held back a chuckle and wonders how she would react if he mentioned that he did brought some snacks as well.

"I just can't believe that something this large can exist underground in such anachronologic world." Rein said in amazement as she takes in the sheer extension of the entire area. "This underground area is natural, other than the castle." Benji explained. "The rocks on the ceiling give out light naturally; they are quite amazing as well, as the intensity varies during the day, and that allows the plants to grow down here."

"And you have no idea of how that works have you?" Rein asked to Benji. "Not at all." Benji replied casually, he had long given up on understanding Rune-Midgard, he might be an otaku and adaptable, but he wasn't a scientist, he was fine in leaving certain mysteries as magic, especially the ones related to why none of his lovers are pregnant, a fact that he is glad about and other things that makes life easier.

Rein could feel the same, with so much going on with her, especially that annoying growing thirst that isn't going away even when she drinks a lot of water bothering her, so just not trying to figure out small details and taking them for granted feels okay with her, besides the reverse castle as Benji called was too damn beautiful, why keep her mind filled with pointless issues when she can take in the scenery?

'Maybe the walk isn't all that bad.' Rein mused silently, the chain made a very soft almost bell like noise and not the usual chain sound, she could get used to it, it wasn't all that heavy, the collar was padded and silky, Benji was walking on her pace so the chain was reasonably loose and she was getting yanked when walking around, she could live with being 'walked', though she wonders why she feels like Benji has experience on that area.

Rein had to admit that the area is beautiful and can only wonder on the beauty of the outside, if the hidden castle was like that then the outside must be even more beautiful. Benji just let the girl stretch her legs for as long as she wants, if she is happy then it was okay, it would push back feelings that she wasn't ready for yet.

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In the end of the first week Junko was a bit pleased, Riku developed well and is progressing rather quickly, she also got news from Benji about Rein, making Riku much more pliable and content, but mostly she is worried being that the reason that she is outside the gates of the Silver Moon castle so late at night.

Junko isn't surprised in seeing Benji walking out of the gates, but she is a bit surprised in seeing a leashed Rein with him. The door next to the gate is shut and Benji let go of the chain. "You can walk around for a while, you are not to lose sight of the castle or run towards houses or the tree line." Benji says to the blonde. Rein just nods while wrapping the chain around her arm, she was too content in being allowed to stroll around alone to mind restrictions, even though she will follow them, all that she wants is to take in the scenery and night air.

"Can we talk?" Junko asked to Benji. "We can." Benji replied. "Let's take a walk." Junko nodded and they walk towards one of the out of limits area, Rein looks around and takes the other way.

"We really need a way to contact each other more commodiously." Benji commented, not that he minded the chat system that adventurers get along the safety, but sometimes it was really inconvenient. Junko nodded agreeing, it was a pain to get by only with the chat system, or on her case the mystic silent alarm that Benji has around the place.

"So why the visit?" Benji asked as they stroll around a small trail between the cherry trees. "Normally you stay away or call me from your place, if is about her the conversation won't start."

"It isn't about her today." Junko replied seriously. "I got few things in my mind and honestly you are the only one who I can discuss with." Benji knew that was serious and was related to their stay there, while also knowing that Junko confided everything with Itsuki, including their origins, so if was something that Junko wanted to discuss with him and not Itsuki then was very serious.

Benji nodded lightly. "What is it?" He asked. "You think that we found every stranded one?" Junko asked seriously. "That we, you and me know every single outcast from Earth?" It was a serious question, Benji knew it, and he also knows the answer for it very well.

"No." Benji answered in the same way. "Honestly Junko at the best we met around ten or twenty percent, if that much. Hell I even killed one a little over a year ago and am trying to kill another one right now." That shocked Junko, she doesn't give a damn if Benji massacres natives from Rune, but killing people that came from Earth like they did was wrong, but seeing Benji's face Junko felt too scared to voice the wrongness that she is feeling.

"They aren't like us Junko." Benji said in a level tone. "I know the two of them, they are rotten to the core, they don't care for others, and trust me on this Junko the one that I want to kill right now left me to die in the desert when I arrived."

Junko remained in silence, she couldn't contest that, she heard the tale from Benji back when he was part of her clan, but Benji never mentioned that the stalker was from Earth, however that feeds the theory and fear that Junko is feeling, there was more like them there and certainly not all of them are good or even lucky to be found by either kind adventurers or outcasts. They are just the one of the tips of the iceberg and they can only wonder how many more are 'lost' in Rune-Midgard.

End of the chapter thirty three:

Author explanation corner:

Attack to the castle, domains and feelings: I needed to start to introduce a major enemy on the story, originally the enemy was going to be the stalker of the group but it felt too lame to have him killed so soon, so the stalker changed to a important underling of that main enemy. Juichi, the name asked by Benji to the stalker is the name of the enemy, more about him later.

By use of magic Benji can feel when ill intended trespassers invade his domains (castle, surrounding area and other locations), I won't explain the magic now. Elle felt the ill intent from the group because she is sensitive to energy (being a healer/doctor made her sharp in feeling when things are wrong).

Now the killing of the group, nothing more than the use of stones and enhanced strength, as well the real physics of things. I admit that the priest was gory, but I had that scene bugging me for a while, but the effect was good, I mean the shock of seeing someone killed like that is huge.

Arrival of the sisters: Another scene that was bothering me, god how it was bothering me. Anyway, it is the first know arrival of two people at the same time, therefore the arrival feeling was much stronger to the point of affecting warp spells (well there is more to this but it will be explained later, wait for the next chapter).

The arrival of the sisters was there also to show Junko doing a bit more than stalking, as well to explain few things and show new abilities and characters. This arrival marks a point of the story where more theories about outcasts will be explained, of course some of them might be wrong and others right.

Originally there would be more battling and killing on this part of the story, the sand queen would be developed a bit more, but I removed it, the chapter is long already, a long dungeon exploring in the church like building would make it even longer. I would also show some of Junko's powers but in the end I removed that as well, it felt better to keep them hidden a little more.

The monsters are the generic lizard men type, not very smart but quite strong, trained and equipped by the man inside the dungeon they become a real threat to anyone unprepared. I won't detail more because it wasn't learned by the characters yet. So no explanations for why the man had military grade stuff with him.

Rein: French for rain, I had decided to show a different side of Benji's enslaving skill, in her concept she was going to be the one to show it, so she was going to be deadly wounded anyway. She is the older of the two sisters, the blonde one.

As explained in the chapter Benji stole her spirit/life force/soul call however you want, and after mixing with some of his he managed to save her life, the price is now that Rein is totally dependant of Benji's life to live and is by nature and instinct submissive towards him.

A second benefit from that other than not dying then is that she now have the same set of powers that Benji has (including unseen ones) all in a much lower level (remember Benji is high level, she just gained some on the trade). However that also means that she got some problems that Benji has, as the bloodlust in combat and everything else named on the story.

Riku: The younger of the sisters, her concept is simple, I need to show more of Junko and having good reasons for Benji not to kill her in sight, so Riku was created to counter Rein and act as a link between the two, as well as a excuse for the two discuss and bring up past issues that I have to explain sooner or later. More about her later.

Lucy and Jessica: Two more outcasts that Junko met, Jessica was on the clan much before Benji joined, Lucy was found shortly before Benji joined the clan. They are melee fighters, I won't explain much about them now, and unlike Benji, the two don't have much knowledge about outcasts and the theories developed about them.

Benji suddenly appearing with weapons from nowhere: Skill to be explained later.

Transgression: Unique skill, heals physical damage, do not recover lost HP.

Drawbacks: As mentioned a lot in previous chapters Benji's watch cuts his natural healing as a counter for the massive boost that it gives, so all the healing that Benji can get is from outside sources or magic, he also can't regenerate SP on this phase.

Limiter: Explanations later.

Recurrent problems: Well while I was writing the idea just came, and it does explains quite well why whenever there is peace in Benji's life for a long time something happens to change that. Other problems will be shown later.

Benji with armor: I was going to show the girls meeting with Benji and finding him comfortably sited on a chair while sipping some wine with an Aliza standing next to him with a tray, but in the end I removed the scene since I needed Benji to be alone to get the scene with Rein wounded right. Benji summoned an Aliza while 'off-screen' and got some armor and weapons from her.

Energy draining, enslaving humans: Since I wanted to show the possibility of failure I kept Rein in shock/sleep/coma for few days before she snapped out of it, I won't explain when Benji first used this right now.


	35. Bragging rights

Hi this is Benji Himura I am starting a new fanfic. I don't own Ragnarok online I also don't own the characters of that story or the plot; taking out the changes that I will make and the characters that I will create. I own Benji Himura and others characters that will show up in the story. It might be violence and sex in the story so if you are underage of seventeen are warned the content might be too improper to your age. Read by your own will and risk. In anyway enjoy the story.

Signed: Benji Himura

"Text"= Talked sentences.

'Text' = Thoughts.

-Text- = Sounds effects.

(Text)= Talked sentences in a foreign language

: Text: = Messages show in an electronic screen or written.

**Text**: something being recalled, flashbacks, scenes being replayed.

_Text_: a detail found in a location, scene, person, recording and images that originally wasn't there.

Chapter thirty four: Bragging rights

Junko settles in not ask more about who Benji killed, she is aware that he isn't cold blooded enough to kill someone who doesn't deserves it, no matter what image he puts out to others to see, if Benji killed then he had a good reason for it, and was enough for her. "What we do about it?" Junko asked to Benji. "If there are many more like us here we should try getting in touch with them, even if they are bad. We aren't in a position to be picky, and we should help out others."

"I have a bunch of ideas." Benji answered. "I am not sure if I will implement them, you know as well as I do that our lives aren't exactly easy right now." "I know but we can't just leave them to their own luck." Junko replied. "We got lucky, really lucky, we had natives that aided and supported us, but you know that not everyone is as kind as Itsuki or your Mana and Shina."

"I know, but if they got found by those bad ones how you think that they can contact us?" Benji asked seriously. "In the best case they are dead, in the worse became slaves in the true sense of the word, without any means of rebelling or asking for help. This world is much more closed than Earth, people doesn't care much about things like that unless they are directly involved, and even back on Earth slavery happens even nowadays without much trouble from the authorities."

Junko knew that was truth, but she doesn't want to accept and can tell that Benji doesn't want to either, but he is right, they have too much on their hands, they took leadership positions, Benji had a castle to run, alliances to keep and a small village to administrate all that above his duties as guild leader, not that she is in a much better position, and now they have two brand new outcasts to train.

"There is something else bothering you, right?" Benji asked after a while. "What is it?" "I think that things are escalating." Junko answered seriously. "I spoke to Elle who gave me the details, since you arrived you found three newcomers, and you are here for a little more than two years."

It was true, Benji knew that few months ago his stay there came to complete two whole years and that on that time he found Haruka, Maria and Aysu, not counting Makie who was there before him and Rein who just arrived. "In my years here I found a total of four, including the two that are back in the castle." Junko said seriously. "And not counting Rein and Riku, and the ones here who I met after they settled. I am sure of this Benji, the numbers are increasing and we are just finding a fraction of it, five new outcasts in two years is a lot, and I am counting the sisters as one incidence. But never before I saw a multiple arrival."

Benji knew that Junko was right; he also felt that something wasn't right, but the outcasts are so random in age, country and abilities that it was hard to come with a real pattern, still six outcasts in two years is too much. "And how many of us are Japanese or descendent?" Benji asked to Junko.

"Nearly all of us." Junko answered, that was something that Benji realized, every outcast that they met have Japanese blood to some extent, Junko is half Japanese and lived in Japan before she was taken to Rune, Benji is one quarter Japanese, Haruka is full Japanese, actually with some foreign blood on her family but her parents are Japanese, Makie was one third Japanese, so are Lucy and Jessica, for the surprise of Benji Aysu admitted that her mother was Japanese, and there was Maria who Benji suspected of having Japanese blood, but the girl is too young to know for sure details of her bloodline, and it was clear as day that both Rein and Riku are also decedents. "Rein and Riku have Japanese grandparents on the father side, both lived in France."

Benji's internal map of origins get another marker, Benji knew for sure that he came from Brazil, Haruka from Japan, a city near Tokyo, Makie lived in Germany, Aysu moved to Australia even though her father is Egypt where she lived most of her life, Junko lived in Japan, Elle and Jessica in the US, Maria lived in Portugal, Lucy in Japan, and there was Bethany and Juichi who like Benji came from Brazil.

Benji couldn't find much of a connection on anything, the landing sites where pretty random and scattered, the ages were mostly between mid teens to mid twenties, other than Maria who is by far the youngest, playing online games wasn't a connection either as Maria is too young to play anything other than kiddy games.

"I wonder if the others are Japanese related as well." Junko commented. "There is a good chance, but I know of two who aren't." Benji replied. "Or it might from a total different ethnic background. I wouldn't be surprised of that. We might be just trial units."

Junko frowned at the term, it was dehumanizing, even though she can see from where he was coming. "You might be right Benji." Junko said. "But change that term, we are humans."

Benji nodded but he wouldn't change it, it felt too odd that there was that many Japanese related people there, and there was Juichi and Bethany who aren't Japanese, and until a decisive day he haven't met Bethany, and Juichi kept himself hidden ever since he left Benji alone in the desert. It might be just a crazy idea but Benji felt like they are getting separated by ethnicity for some odd reason.

Junko was aware of Benji's theory, there would be a war between outcasts of different ethnic bloodlines and only one would surface victorious, that would explain why there was a natural alignment between them to separate leaders and subordinates, as well the instinctive way of getting a fortress, gathering troops and securing supplies. And they can only wonder why that.

"I don't know what to do." Junko admitted in a tired voice. "I want to try finding and helping others like us, but I am pretty scared of doing so as well. As much as I hate to admit you scalded me pretty badly, I am not as willingly to take in people as I used to." "I am not sure if I should apologize for that or not." Benji replied in a mix of confused and apologetic tone. "Let's admit it Junko we scalded the other pretty badly."

"I can't and won't deny that." Junko commented. "But I feel bad in not looking for others because I am scared of getting hurt again." "Admit it Junko you also have a lot in your hands." Benji said seriously. "You don't have the same freedom as you had before, hell there are days that I just feel like abandoning everything and running away."

Junko understood that all too well, she knew exactly what Benji was speaking about, she too have days where she felt too stressed and oppressed by her responsibilities and felt like abandoning everything, but was the price of the leadership and they both know it.

Junko shivers lightly and hugs herself for extra warmth, the night was quite cold when compared to the warm day. "You really should learn to walk with a jacket or with warmed clothes." Benji said while draping his jacket over her shoulders. "Thank you." Junko replied meekly, it wasn't the first time that something like that happened, but too much have happened between them, so she was pretty surprised with the consideration.

"Won't you be cold?" Junko asked seriously. "Nah, I am pretty used." Benji answered casually. "I was lost in a desert for months, this hardly feels cold, it is closer to refreshing when you compare to the desert nights." Junko nodded understanding and holds the jacket closer against her, she really have to start taking jackets with her, just her usual black trousers and white button up shirt isn't warm enough for some nights, oddly enough Benji was wearing pretty much the same and isn't showing any sign of cold.

"How is the sister?" Junko asked trying to make conversation. "She is starting to get really thirsty." Benji answered. "But is controlling pretty well, plus she settled with the semi isolation well, if things go well by the end of the month I will let her start walk around others."

"But you left her unguarded." Junko commented. "She is being watched." Benji replied. "She just doesn't know that, besides this little escapade will do wonders to her morale, she just needs some assurance that she can trust herself and that I trust on her." "But you don't." Junko said seriously. "I do, but not entirely." Benji replied seriously. "I know well how the thirst can be. Anyway how is in your side?"

"Riku is doing fine." Junko answered. "I am running her through the multi-class course, right now she is working as an archer, Itsuki and Lucy are helping her to level as well; she is very diligent and is progressing steadily. She got on eighty few days ago." It was an impressive mark and Benji was impressed, but he knew that Itsuki wasn't taking Riku to regular training areas, it was the only way to get that high that shortly.

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Rein was quite happy, it was the first time that she was granted such freedom to walk around, sure she had some boundaries but she was free to walk in the nature very freely and the sight was just stunningly beautiful, even more than the reverse garden. The air was so pure and full of life and freshness, more she walks around more and more she feels like that she can live there.

Her bliss is broken by the sound of crushed leaves, as a startled squirrel Rein suddenly whips her head in the direction of the sound, nervously trying to locate the source. Rein was sure that she was far from others, the castle was still in sight, she was within the boundaries set by her master for her walk, she is sure that she will be forgiven if she stumbles on someone and moves away quickly, it wouldn't be her fault.

Rein feels the hairs of her nape bristling at something, she instinctively tenses and scans the area even harder. Rein spots seven stalkers and three assassin crosses lurking out of the tree line, she could feel their enmity seeping out of them, rolling out like a wave. Rein wasn't exactly ready for the knife that flew at her direction, but her reflexes acted before her mind registered the action.

Without a yelp Rein blocks the venom knife with her left forearm, then she bolts towards the offending assassin, viciously clawing his face with her right hand. A stalker takes the opportunity and backstabs her. Rein cries in pain but twists her body slamming her left arm on the stalker's head, just then she realizes the pain, she hitted the stalker with the same arm where the knife is nailed on, and she just hammered the hilt of it against the stalker's skull.

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Junko was surprised, keeping up with Benji's speed was hard, and she knows that he is back to his regular limiting. She was pretty angry with whoever is behind the trespassing, she finally got in a nice mood with Benji and they were talking normally about stuff, it took her a lot of courage and time to get like that to see all that go to waste.

Junko gasped shocked when seeing the scene ahead of her, Rein was holding a stalker by the head with both hands, holding him away from the ground, and the stalker's right arm is missing. Around her a scenery of hell, several other stalkers and assassins cross lay in the ground dead and in pieces, it was something that Junko expected to see from Benji and not from Rein.

Benji was pretty impressed, nearing shocked, he never expected that much power to be transferred to Rein, all the adventurers there are transcended ones, and she dealt with ten of them all by herself. Benji can't explain the odd feeling of pride that he is feeling, but he can tell what Rein is trying to do, he did that himself plenty of times, crushing heads barehanded is quite hard and requires a lot of muscle.

However Benji is worried with the glow of Rein's eyes, he wouldn't blame her for relying on the lust and instincts to fight in her condition, but she might go too far if left alone. A crunch fills the air and Rein puts more strength on her fingers, but she realizes that she doesn't have the needed strength to do more than crack the skull, still she is pleased and drops the agonizing stalker, she might not have enough strength in her hands to crush the skull, but she has more than enough on her legs to do so.

"Shouldn't you stop her?" Junko asked to Benji worried. "It is better let her vent it." Benji answered, he is noticing the wounds on his 'progeny', she took a fair beating before the lust took over, perhaps even while on it, so until she tries to feed he will let her vent it all out.

Junko looks away as Rein crushes the stalker's head with her shoe clad foot. Rein pulls the venom knife from her arm and looks at the bloodied blade hungrily. Benji sighed and pulls a revolver from under his shirt, with a single shot on the knife Benji tore the knife from Rein's hands.

Rein with her hair bristled glares at the offender until she realizes who it is and quickly her hair settles down and she gets on a submissive posture. Benji walks towards the now meek and lightly scared girl. Rein feels like backing away but she can't move her feet to do so, she just closes her eyes in resignation in taking the punishment for offending her master flashing her fangs towards him.

So she was pretty surprised when feeling Benji's hand touching her head gently and stroking her hair. "Good girl." She heard Benji's voice saying to her in a gentle and pleased tone that makes her feel happy, Rein basks in the satisfaction of being praised for few moments, until the hormonal high that she is in fades and she realizes that she is being praised for killing humans!

Benji can tell when the fact sinks on Rein's mind, but there was something more pressing than that to worry about. "Dammit." Benji mutters when recognizing the sigil on the corpses. "Junko you are better return to your castle." Benji said seriously. "Make sure that you can't be traced, lock the gate and secure your people, worry about security and see if any of the ones spying here was followed even once when returning."

Junko nodded silently and leaves through a teleport, she doesn't have to know more, it was an enemy of Benji who would easily turn on others; it was all that she needed to know about. "Master…" Rein said in a low and sorrowful tone, regretting her actions and seeking answers.

Benji looks at the blonde, the confusion is clear on her face and eyes, Benji felt bad for her, he could see her purity, regretting very much what she just did. Benji pulls the girl to a hug, surprised Rein just remains stiff for few moments before her mind catch in and she hugs him back crying loudly and sobbing strongly.

Benji does his best to comfort her, he also had a harsh time adjusting to killing after his first time in the desert, when facing death killing becomes easy, but killing is easy, the hard part comes later. Rein was so distraught that doesn't notice when Benji picks her up and walks to the castle, of course Benji wouldn't leave the corpses there, so a couple of Alizas and Alices move to the area to clean it up.

The castle was pretty empty, the shot was quiet enough to not wake anyone, Benji makes way to Rein's room, as Benji expected the doors were open and the Valkyries aren't there, just as he ordered, Benji places the girl on her bed, Rein who felt much better lies down.

"Why you said that I was a good girl?" Rein asked while Benji stands up. "I killed that people without mercy." "They attacked you, right?" Benji asked back. Rein nodded confirming. "Then you did nothing wrong. That is why I said that you are a good girl, you protected yourself against a superior enemy that outnumbered you."

"But I killed humans!" Rein exclaimed. "So?" Benji asked casually. "They were attacking you with the intent of killing you, nothing wrong in killing them." "But…" "No buts!" Benji barked. "Listen and listen well, if you are attacked you attack back, if they want you dead you kill them first. In the instant that someone tries to harm you, you have every right to harm them back in the same level. They can be human but it was them who started, if you fight you have to be ready to die as well to kill, without that…"

Rein looks at him meekly, scared and clearly doubtfully, that goes against everything that she was taught. "Humans kill humans, period." Benji said seriously. "So we just play god and decide who lives and who dies?" Rein asked scared. "Hell no!" Benji exclaimed. "There is a solid difference in killing in battle and playing god."

Rein is confused and Benji takes a deep breath. "Look killing isn't playing god, society teaches us that because people are afraid of being killed." Benji said seriously. "Every living thing knows, can and most creatures kill in a daily basis. Lions kill zebras to eat, every animal eat another, plant eaters eat plants, they are killing as well, after all plants are alive, we live thanks to the death of others, you liked today's chicken right? Just earlier today it was walking around a farm. Killing isn't a godly right, is the most simple skill of any living creatures. We humans just say that is wrong for us to kill. As if our history is free of murder."

Rein can't deny that, human history was filled with wars, death and other events like that, and Benji was right, she eats meat, that means that some creature died so she could enjoy the flesh, and again he was right, it was humans who told that killing is wrong, while the bible says so it was humans who wrote it and it is very easy to the church add and remove stuff from it, even the bible is filled with deaths and 'just' killing, even though god said that killing is wrong.

Rein let out a little startled yelp when Benji pats her head again. "As long you never kill innocents you will be always a good girl." Benji said in a gentle tone. "Killing in battle, killing rapists, killing those who harm your loved ones is right. Never forget that, as long you don't kill innocents, killing is right."

"What about monsters master?" Rein asked while blushing, she can't understand why she likes his touch so much. "Monsters are a tricky issue, you can kill them, however there are some are too good to kill, I will teach you that when the time comes." Benji answered. Rein nodded content with his hand caressing her head.

Rein feels a little disappointed when Benji pulls his hand back and looks up at him. "How thirsty are you?" Benji asked seriously, and Rein knew that he didn't meant regular thirst. Rein swallows hard and nervously. "It was endurable earlier." Rein answered meekly. "But now it is much, much worse."

Benji nodded understanding. "Open your mouth and stick out your tongue." Benji said while he walked to the wash bin and quickly washes his hand. Confused Rein obeys, wondering what he will do with her like that. After drying his hands Benji walks to Rein and bites his right index finger.

Rein watches surprised as he looks at the cut in the finger pad before moving it closer to her. Rein stares in fascination the dark red liquid that quickly stains his skin and start to form large drops. Rein is startled badly when two large drops falls on her exposed tongue.

"Keep it like that." Benji instructed seriously, Rein fights the first instinct of pulling away and start feeling another one that tells her to reach for the source of the blood for more. "Don't bite or do anything other than taking the blood inside your mouth." Benji said while pressing the open cut against her moist tongue.

With her eyes glowing in expectation and glee Rein accepts the treatment, feeling a great amount of pleasure while Benji lightly runs his finger over her tongue coating it with his blood. Rein could feel her thirst vanishing, the absurd pleasure of that simple act running through her body, the delicious taste of his potent and strong male blood filling her mind and mouth with an indescribable flavor.

Benji watches the girl closely as he feeds her some energy, she had done well, endured five days without anything, she deserved some relief, and she was doing well, just being there submissive letting him feed her not trying to bite and get more blood and energy. Rein let out a tiny whimper when Benji pulls his finger away.

"Feeling satisfied now?" Benji asked with a smile. Rein nodded blushing fiercely, she felt really aroused, but the thirst was gone. "Good." Benji commented licking his finger clean. "Eat something from the basket to rinse the taste away, then bath and sleep." Reni nodded at his instructions and watches him moving to the door.

"Master." Rein called before he leaves. "Thank you." She said when he turns back to her. "You are welcome." Benji answered. "Have a good night." Rein replied to that and watches him closing and locking the door from the outside. Still dazed with the experience Rein just lie in the bed feeling really pleased, and considering in dealing with the surge of arousal that she is feeling.

Even after Benji left Rein could still feel his touch and the sensations on her tongue and body, somehow she understood what happened, he was giving her energy through the touch of his finger and her tongue, as well making her connect the pleasure of it with blood, something that her rational mind tells that is gross, but she can't just mark it as such, it tasted too good to be gross.

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Back on his room Benji ponders on the situation, Juichi was getting too active and it was the second attack that he attempted in one week, Rein got her first experience in killing and tasting energy, wanting or not he will have to speed up her training now. But in the bright side it is the first time in months that he has the bed all for himself, so Benji marked the day as okay.

That until one hour of turning, tossing, moving and trying to sleep later. Benji wonders if he got too used in sharing the bed or was just something related to his current state, pondering a little Benji wonders in who he could visit at that time. 'Layla is with Raki tonight so she is out, Atsuko is with Maria, a bit surprising but I am glad that Maria and Atsuko are getting along so well, definitely not Haruka, I want sleep not sex.'

That left Erika, Mutsumi, his pets or his slaves. 'Erika steals the sheets too much…' Benji thought casually. 'Maybe Mutsumi…' A soft rapping on the door gets Benji out of his thoughts; it was quite odd since it was quite late. Benji is surprised in seeing Saki in her night kimono standing by the door.

"Is everything all right master?" Saki asked in a soft but worried whisper. "I know that it is late but I heard a shot outside and you talking with the lady downstairs." "It was solved." Benji answered with a smile, he had forgotten that Saki had pretty sensitive senses, much more than a normal human, even if no one else woke, she did.

"I apologize for intruding." Saki said with a bow. "I will…" "You can come in if you want to." Benji cutted her. "You have been awake for a while now, right?" Saki blushes at his words, he had figured that she was awake since the shot over an hour ago, and she was listening to him moving on the bed.

Saki excuses herself embarrassed and enters on the room. "If is all right I can make you company tonight." Saki said humbly. "It is." Benji replied gently caressing her cheek, Saki was too lovely, though sometimes she could have a little temper it only made her cuter, plus it has been a long while since he pampered any of his pets, and Saki above all the others deserved some.

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Atsuko finally got things ready for the tea, it took her a while to get everything done, especially convincing the others to let Helen and her friends to enter on the castle, while Benji didn't minded he had to consider the others' opinions first, especially since Atsuko also wanted to brag and show to Helen the bath.

Atsuko kind of missed the tea times with Helen, but the snack time of the legions was also nice, mostly it was the same thing, but on the guild there was much more variety of stuff to eat and drink, and most of the food was salty stuff or whatever else the person wanted to eat.

Pleased with the seven different types of cake, six of cookies and four pies Atsuko starts to get the tea leaves ready, Benji had offered her an Aliza to serve them and Atsuko intended to make full use of her, but preparations would be done by her and not the maid.

While Atsuko is busy getting ready to her friends' visit Benji was figuring out where to drag Rein to train, the blonde was refusing quite badly, but he would disregard her protests and drag her to train anyway.

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"This place is more impressive on the inside than in the outside." Aiko commented while looking around the halls of the castle. "I still find hard to believe that he just bought this so easily." "It wasn't all that easily but he did bought it." Atsuko replied. "Whatever I am dying to try those bath things, you are gloating about them for months." Aiko said casually. "Later we will get there." Atsuko said with a smile. "The tour and the tea first."

"This is the office." Atsuko said while opening the door of Benji's office. "So that office." Aiko commented. "Is anything naughty going on in it?" "I think that it is." Helen replied when seeing Rein struggling against her chain that is firmly attached to Benji's belt while he is casually picking stuff from a hidden closet.

Atsuko looks at the scene a bit confused. "Hun you said that you would be leaving." Atsuko said casually while Rein frantically tugs on the chain trying to flee. "I am about to." Benji replied. "I am just getting some extra stuff. Plus it took a while to put Rein in that outfit."

The outfit is a simple girl archer suit, but it isn't the cause of Rein's struggle, she just don't want to kill anything. "I don't want to go!" Rein exclaimed. "I don't like killing!" "Hush you!" Benji replied while holstering a black pistol on his left side. "Since you are here let me introduce you." Atsuko said to Benji. "These are my friends."

Helen waved a greeting that Benji replied in the same way, while they aren't in bad terms they aren't friends either, Aiko in the other hand is confused with the scene. "What is going on?" She asked. "This puppy here." Benji said while tugging on Rein's chain. "Is going out to train, but she is making a fuss about it."

"You shouldn't just force her if she doesn't want to." Aiko commented. "It is for her own good." Benji replied. "She needs to learn. Anyway I am done." Benji closes the closet, the stone wall returns to the place and so does the bookshelf. "I never knew about that." Atsuko commented.

"I keep small stashes like this in places where I often hang out." Benji explained. "Keeping every piece of equipment in the same place can be as much dangerous as convenient." Atsuko can't deny that, but still seeing that secret stash in the office that she also hanged on a lot was a little disturbing.

"Have fun outside." Atsuko said before giving Benji a kiss. "You too." Benji replied. "Try not to brag too much as well." "I won't make promises." Atsuko said with a chuckle. "Bye dear." Helen smiled at the scene, sure it was a bit odd but still was heartwarming to see it.

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Defeated Rein dejectedly resigns to following Benji as they leave the castle, not that she was against going out, and she was pretty much used to the collar and the leash, but she don't want to kill anything, while she still remembers everything that Benji told her in that night about killing, she just don't want to, but she is too powerless to refuse her master.

Rein wasn't fond of the idea of training, at least not how Benji explained it to her, just going out to a very dangerous area filled with dangerous and aggressive monsters and killing them for several hours, and doing so gaining valuable real combat experience. Benji was aware of Rein's unwillingness that is why he isn't taking her to a regular area where the monsters are reasonably esthetically pleasant to the eye, but to a forbidden area with real monsters, the type that you know that you are doing a favor to mankind when killing.

Benji's mood improved a lot after they entered in the outskirts of his called training grounds. The trees looked evil and dead, the forest was everything but welcoming and beautiful as the sakura forest next to the Silver Moon castle, the ground covered in fallen dead leaves, a chilled and damp wind blows through the naked trees.

Rein felt like countless horrors could just jump out from nowhere to attack them, actually she pretty much knew that it would happen sometime soon, but a the same time the presence of her master seemed to be scaring away most of them dangers that lurk in that evil forest. Rein doesn't notice how she clutches the heavy automatic shotgun that Benji handed to her before they left the castle, getting some comfort on its sturdiness and weight.

While Rein felt safe with the big gun on her hands she wonders about her master, she knew that he was armed, but his biggest weapon was a sword, she can't understand why selecting something like that when having firearms on his disposal, she saw him picking up pistols.

Rein froze when a large dark castle comes to view. "Master please tell me that we won't train there." Rein asked meekly. "You won't train there." Benji answered. Rein let out a relieved sigh. "You will train in the guest hall next to it, it is considerably easier than the castle itself."

Rein whined at the idea, the castle was eerie and scared her, she doesn't want to see how it is in the inside, but Benji continues to lead her towards the castle, now she could hear creatures moving, circling around them but not approaching more than that, and that makes Rein even more scared.

And even with the monsters circling them nothing happened to them and they reach the castle walls. Rein was pretty impressed the castle was somehow gothic styled, but very scary and doesn't look as abandoned as she first thought that it was, but it was every more menacing closely than from afar.

Benji points to a three story building after they walked around the courtyard, Rein looks warily at the building, it wasn't a guest hall as Benji initially told, but an employee's quarters, a quite large one. "Go on and have fun." Benji said to Rein while he pushes her through the door. "Stay in the first floor until I say otherwise, and if you really need help you can call me."

Rein protests and whines but Benji is far stronger than she is and she finds herself inside the dark building with the door closed behind her. Without other choice but do as told Rein tries to reassure herself that everything is fine, she has a large bore shotgun and enough ammo for it to start a war.

Rein's reassurance only lasts until a decomposing butler walks towards her wielding a large knife. Only the sturdy sling prevented Rein from dropping the gun as she frantically tried to wield it, tangling her hands on the gun, yet she regained the control before the undead butler got close and shot him in the upper chest area.

The butler's upper body is destroyed and he falls on the ground, turning in a quickly rotting mass of flesh and bones. Panting as if she had ran a marathon Rein looks at the decomposing monster and the fuming gun at her hands. She had killed it, she haven't really aimed the gun, only pointed it, but the death mesh of its load was enough to kill the monster, being automatic the rifle had already chambered a new shell and is ready for further use.

More rotting butlers and now decaying maids enter on the hallway for the dismay of the shotgun armed blonde. 'But they aren't alive.' Rein realized as her frantic mind slows down and starts to get used to the situation. 'They are already dead and rotting away, they are just like dummies.' With that in mind Rein shoulders the shotgun and fires away.

Outside Benji smiled pleased, he could clearly hear Rein's thoughts, sure he had to influence them a little but she was pending to that resolution otherwise it wouldn't be so fast to get her moving, that odd telepathy was convenient he would be able to tell if she is in a real danger.

"Well she is getting the hang of it." Benji commented while closing his coat. "I wonder how much of that is my influence and how much is original from her. Anyway it has been a while since I could fight like this." Drawing his sword Benji looks at the fully armored monsters that are getting near of him.

"Away from prying eyes, without worrying about allies, just relentless killing everything." Benji grins while looking at the creatures that he knows that are so close but very different from humans inside their metallic armors. "This will be so good." With those words Benji charges at the horde.

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In the castle Atsuko is happily chatting with her friends, the small tour in the castle had impressed them all, and that made Atsuko happy. "I still can't accept that the diamond order make stuff like this." Atsuko commented while helping herself with a slice of an elaborate cake.

"It is just normal." Helen said casually. "My order makes some gorgeous scarves and robes." "I am in an embroidery club." Aiko added while munching on a cinnamon cookie. "Adventuring is okay, but there are more things in life than that." Lynn pointed out. "Regular knights work as escorts for normal merchants or as law officers in cities when they aren't adventuring."

"But money make adventuring by far surpasses of those side jobs." Atsuko said seriously. "No discussion on that." Laura said casually. "But it is nice to do other stuff than killing other stuff, besides those side jobs usually give money towards the guild or order, plain adventuring pays only the adventurers."

"Sure the guilds can ask for the adventurers to go on a task for them and take around seventy percent of the loot." Aiko added. "But that happens less often, it is too much work to gather a party and convince them to give away the loot, most adventurers are pretty selfish. Besides no one wants only to be able to fight and kill, look at Vana, the guy was practically a Bapho of so strong, but other than fighting he couldn't do anything else."

Atsuko recalled easily of the almost monstrous man and how his life ended at Benji's hands in a battle that is being sung by bards all over Rune. "Vana was very powerful and focused only in being the strongest fighter." Helen said pouring herself more tea. "In his old age he found himself alone, with his strength slowly fading away, unable to live in any other way. That is why he attacked this castle; he decided if he was to die then it would be a glorious death in the battlefield."

"Kind of sad if you ask me." Lynn commented. "If Vana had considered in teaching a newer generation of swordsmen his final days could be far different." "I am not sure if swordsmen would want to be like Vana." Laura replied. "Or could, Vana was huge, most if not all of the guys are slim, the closest one to Vana's build is Atsuko's boy toy and he is pretty much monstrous as he is."

The others nod agreeing and Atsuko can't even deny that, Benji could be pretty ferocious at the times, she saw that herself plenty of times, but she doesn't complain of that, it was pretty good in bed. "Still baking cakes?" Atsuko said bringing the conversation back to the tracks. "Layla seems to share the same interest with the diamond order."

"Well she might be trying to please Benji." Aiko commented. "She might be trying to show him a softer and more feminine side of herself, plus showing that she can take care of the house as a housewife, she wouldn't be the first female knight to give up the knighthood to wed."

"Yeah my mom was like that." Lynn said with a smile. "And when I was a kid she was always teaching me how to fight." "While adventuring is fun it isn't something that I want do for the rest of my life." Aiko commented. "It can be pretty boring as well, besides what is the harm of doing other stuff?"

"The time that you are using to do other stuff could be used to level up." Atsuko replied. "Can't deny that, but just leveling is pretty boring." Aiko said casually. "And fighting isn't fun, there are more in life than that." While Atsuko can't contest that she also can't agree with it.

"Anyway I thought that this castle would be bursting with activity." Lynn commented. "But we haven't seen much other than locations." "The tour was to some of the common areas." Atsuko explained. "Most of the girls are out taking care of their business, some are training in the training areas, others are just killing time or doing their own stuff in the castle, plus is a big castle, there are lots of places to stay, we can go a whole day without seeing a more familiar face here, it is all about timing and placing."

Helen nodded understanding. "So what you do here when you aren't with your boy toy?" Helen asked curious. "The term is lover." Atsuko replied. "And it depends, if I am not training with someone I am reading or tending the garden, there is lots of stuff to do, there is helping out with the paperwork, laundry, cooking, cleaning, and tons of stuff. We have a schedule."

"For what?" Aiko asked. "Nearly everything." Atsuko answered. "Chores placements, who is in charge of what in the day, training hours, leveling hours with the lower levels, paperwork, and among the five of us who share Benji's bed who will stay with him on a particular night."

"I did wonder about that one." Lynn commented. "All of you in the same bed is too crowded, right?" Atsuko nodded confirming, Benji's bed was big enough for all of them and even more, but could get uncomfortable to move around in that mess of bodies and limbs.

"Besides it gets too hot." Atsuko added. "Six people in the same bed makes a lot of heat and I don't mean that. We keep one night of the week like that, and we all wake quite sweaty even with light clothing." With the conversation getting in the personal area the visitors pay even closer attention to it.

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Benji puts a straw on a bottle of grape juice and drinks from it. 'Ah this is good…' Benji thought as the cool juice refreshes his body, he is idly sited over a pile of armored corpses, his sword is resting against his legs and the courtyard is once again quiet, though the sound of distant gunshots can be heard from the employee's building. "I wonder how she is doing in there." Benji idly mused while looking at the building, he closes his eyes and let out a long breath.

Inside the building Rein is frantically shooting at a large group of maids with reasonable success in killing them, but they are far too many, only the rather narrow hall and the fact that she is using a shotgun helps Rein to kill so easily. 'That thing is automatic.' Benji said to the blonde. 'Just hold the trigger and point at them.'

"MASTER?!" Rein exclaimed surprised, she looks around confused not seeing him anywhere, yet she can hear him sighing. 'Keep your focus on the maids.' Benji instructed. 'You are using a large bore automatic shotgun, it is a rifle with a high rate of fire, you don't have to pull the trigger every time, at least not on this situation, just hold it and fire away. You don't need to aim well on this situation that is why I gave you that.'

"Yes master." Rein said doing as told, the shots are now continuous and she barely feels the recoil. "Uh master." Rein said meekly. "How we are talking like this? Is some kind of telepathy?" 'Pretty much it.' Benji replied. 'It just work in slaves though.' "I am a slave?" Rein asked feeling her spirit leaving her body. 'The process of saving you was pretty much the same that I use to get slaves.' Benji answered. 'Yet you are more dependant and problematic than they are, I still haven't figured how to call what you are. But it isn't slave in the way that we learned about it.'

That did made Rein feel a little better about herself. "So this is how you said that I could call you in case of need?" Rein asked. 'Yes.' Benji answered. 'While I can easily see through your eyes you can't do the same to me, it is more complex than it looks like. Anyway it can be quite handy as well.'

Rein nodded agreeing sure she felt inhuman but still was neat. 'You seem to be doing well.' Benji commented. "I guess that I am." Rein replied. "But I got wrapped by some sort of light several times now, what does that mean?" 'You leveled up, don't try to understand just accept it.' Benji explained. "Okay…" Rein replied uneasy. "What it does?" 'I explain later.' Benji said. 'For now just keep killing.'

Rein sighed and nodded, she was getting too used to it, reloading the now empty gun she keeps looking at the hall, she killed more than she could count yet the undead staff keeps coming steadily without diminishing their numbers, as if for every one that she kills another comes to take its place.

Rein feels odd, part of her mind was telling her to run away, to not kill anything, yet another is telling her to kill whatever threatens her and the worse is that she is doing too well for her liking, she wasn't doing much than reload and shoot but still she was doing well and was getting excited about it.

Benji could feel what the girl is feeling, it is the adrenalin rush caused by combat, it took him time to find balance on that, without that balance he would turn into a junkie not much different than Dante who only seeks battle and danger, it was alluring and seductive, but Benji had grounded himself and found balance on the situation, he doesn't like fighting, while he does find sparring with the girls fun he was able to keep in control, just letting go once and a while.

Standing up Benji moves towards the building, Rein was getting close of falling on sheer bloodlust and she is too new and inexperienced to keep herself in control on that state. Inside Rein keeps firing, waiting, just waiting for an opening to close the distance and use that heavy gun that doesn't feel heavy to beat her enemies to a bloody pulp.

And that time finally comes, a gap of a couple seconds between the waves of undead servants, in that short time Rein had covered the dozen meters that separated her from the undead, beating them with the solid stock of her gun Rein smashes open the heads of them. Striking left and right, with stock and barrel Rein fights with glee at the never ending wave of enemies.

Benji doesn't have problems in killing the undead, he still doesn't like the feel of cleaving skin, muscle and flesh, but he was used to it, and he could cleave steel so cutting rotten flesh is easy. With few well placed fire walls Benji cuts the access of the undead the area, and he finds Rein in the middle of a group of undead hitting them as if there is no tomorrow.

Sighing Benji looks at the dirty girl, she was being careless, just few steps away from sheer savagery, ignoring the rotten blood and brains that splashes on her, yet she was moving with a flowing grace somewhere between a feline or a snake, Benji felt a bit bad for interrupting but with a small series of fire bolts he clears the area and dashes towards the distracted girl.

Too busy bashing a maid's head in to notice Benji's Rein doesn't react when Benji grabs her head with his right hand, the rifle with the left hand and pushes her hard against a wall. Growling and snarling Rein struggles trying to break free of her capturer's grip, trying to hit him with her arms until she realizes who it is when she sees him at the corner of her eyes.

Benji was impressed with how submissive she got when she recognized him, she was panting mixed tired and lustful breaths, aware of how the bloodlust a trigger another lust Benji just keeps the hold of the panting and sweaty girl. 'She doesn't feel as tired as she should given the time that she was fighting.' Benji thought as the girl keeps taking short and quick breathes with her body pressed against the wall.

"Master…" Rein gasped sweetly and tiredly. "…Thirsty…" "It is okay." Benji said in a gentle tone. "Just get your breath back." Benji pulls a bottle from his pocket and puts a thin straw on it before he let go of Rein. Rein pushes away from the wall and looks at him over her shoulder.

'I wonder if the ability of look sexy and arouse men is innate in women.' Benji mused, a little dazed with how sexy the blonde looks. Casting an ice spell Benji creates a stall and makes the girl sits on it. Rein just follows the lead hoping for a treat, while it comes it isn't what she expected or wanted.

"Drink slowly." Benji said while handing to her a bottle a pinkish looking liquid, Rein nods and tries to suck the liquid from the straw, and for her dismay it is hard to draw it from the bottle with the straw, however instead of pointing it out to Benji or even complaining about it Rein focuses in sucking on it even harder, trying to draw the sweet tasting concoction, while she haven't tasted it the little air that she got from the straw tasted sweet and she could tell that the concoction was sweeter.

Benji notices how concentrated the girl got with the drink and was content that the trick worked, the idea was simple, kill the thirst psychologically, meaning making her work for the drink, drink very little and yet feel like she drank a lot, to achieve that the opening for the straw and the straw was very thin, and the drink was thick, making it hard to be drunk with a straw.

A squeal of glee signals that Rein succeeded in sucking enough of the drink through the straw to taste it, chuckling Benji wonder how angry she would be if he revealed to her that the drink wasn't anything other than a mixed fruits smoothie with sugar and never melting ice. Energetic contents zero, but potential energy content high, just as regular food.

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Feeling too good to care Helen admitted to Atsuko that the bath was everything that she had said and more. Atsuko was just content in getting the admission from Helen and enjoys the soak like she always did. "What is up that little mount over there?" Aiko asked pointing to the namely mount in the bath's landscape.

"The cold spring." Atsuko answered. "It is great in hot days, just soaking there in the cool water is so refreshing and relaxing, sadly the pool is small so in really hot days it is very hard to get in it. But I wouldn't enter there if I was you." "Why?" Aiko asked sitting back down, she wanted to take a dip on that one as well.

"This is Benji's side." Atsuko answered. "In the female side the cold spring is cool, here it is freezing." "Why that huge difference?" Lynn asked confused. "Benji threw bath salts on the water and then added a considerable amount of never melting ice." Atsuko explained. "He uses it mostly when he is sore or wounded as it helps with the pains. Anyway thanks to the salt and the ice the water is either close or bellow freezing point most of the time."

Even inside the hot spring the others shiver strongly at the idea of sitting in such cold water. "Your boy toy is crazy." Aiko commented curling under the water to warm herself. "It isn't all that bad." Atsuko replied. "Depending of his mood or wound he removes some of the ice and add hot water on it making it less cold, we used it a lot these past months, feels even better than the regular cold spring, and the salts makes the skin really soft and supple."

Atsuko could tell that the others doesn't agree with her at all as they look at her with 'I so don't believe in you' expressions on their faces. "Still this is one hell of a view." Lynn commented looking at the distant cherry valley. "It is no wonder that you people held this caste so fiercely." "That was a major part of the reason." Atsuko said with a chuckle, it was true after all.

End of the chapter thirty four:

I am sorry that took this long to update, between writer's block, work related issues and keeping the chapters unposted to alter it to match things in other advanced chapters I stalled a lot the release of this one.

Author explanation corner:

Conversation and theories about outcasts: I had long decided to show some theories and ideas that I had while making the story, not all of them are going to be show as truth, some will be just theories. And just to make a point clear, Juichi and Bethany aren't Japanese related, even thought I named Juichi with a Japanese name.

Rein fighting, thirst and other side effects: I wanted to show how Benji's energy influenced her, so I threw some fighting on her direction. By instinct thanks to what she got from Benji she can fight well before her brain realizes what she is doing, then she gets reluctant or might fall into the bloodlust since she still isn't used to fighting and killing.

The thirst is hard to explain, so I won't linger on it for too long now, imagine when you are really, really thirsty, craving for a particular drink and you can't find it no matter what, and after a long time you find it, it becomes by far much more delicious, quenching and satisfying than normal. Now just multiply this for a high number and you have an idea of how bad it is.

I threw the telepathy there because I wanted something more convenient, private and unique than the messaging system that bonded Benji with Rein, as well the other slaves, Benji can use that with every slave that he has. I decided to show it now because I felt like and would help to develop her, the same reason that I threw Rein in a undead filled mansion, they are inhuman enough to anyone be able to kill without remorse. It is much easier to kill a rotting and ugly zombie than a cute kitty.

Atsuko's tea: This scene was bothering me for a while so I wrote it down, it still came a bit different than I wanted but it came good enough. Mostly it was to develop Helen and Atsuko a little as well to have Atsuko bragging about the castle to her friends.


	36. Bound to happen

Hi this is Benji Himura I am starting a new fanfic. I don't own Ragnarok online I also don't own the characters of that story or the plot; taking out the changes that I will make and the characters that I will create. I own Benji Himura and others characters that will show up in the story. It might be violence and sex in the story so if you are underage of seventeen are warned the content might be too improper to your age. Read by your own will and risk. In anyway enjoy the story.

Signed: Benji Himura

"Text"= Talked sentences.

'Text' = Thoughts.

-Text- = Sounds effects.

(Text)= Talked sentences in a foreign language

: Text: = Messages show in an electronic screen or written.

**Text**: something being recalled, flashbacks, scenes being replayed.

_Text_: a detail found in a location, scene, person, recording and images that originally wasn't there.

Chapter thirty five: Bound to happen

Elle lightly pats Rein's right shoulder. "It is all done." She said casually. "You are perfectly fine, your body is getting quite strong. It is just some soreness; you are after all doing a harsh training routine. With a couple days of rest you will be just like new." Elle then turns to Benji. "She is on the backlash stage, let her rest for a while, she needs to take easy, her body got too strong too fast." Elle said to him.

"Okay, I was planning on a break anyway, she did completed the first jobs course in six weeks." Benji replied with a nod. "I really had to make use of this time intensely, her body is adapting faster than mine did." "I know, it must be a kind of side effect from the embrace." Elle commented while storing her medical tools.

"I just want to know when I can get out of this room." Rein said while putting on her archer's outfit. "I am sick of being coped inside with monitored visits." "I will consider introducing you to the others after the weekend." Benji answered. "While you are holding the thirst back well, you haven't much contact with others without me around. So even if I allow you to hang with others will be next to me."

"Better than the current situation." Rein replied. "I want to at least see my sister, while you hand me letters from her and tell me that she is fine I want to see her." "I will also take that in consideration." Benji said. "I will send a maid here with some food, you want a new book or something like that?"

Rein thinks about the offer and decides to test the waters. "Can I have the maid to keep me company for a while?" Rein asked hopefully. "Maybe a board game or two as well if she can stay."

While Benji doesn't really want to let an Alice or Aliza alone with Rein when he isn't there, Rein did behaved pretty well and obeyed to his orders faithfully, and was trying really hard to fight the thirst and the lusts. So he decides to both reward her hard work and as well monitor the situation. "I will send two maids and Chris." Benji answered to Rein's happiness, she really wasn't expecting to be allowed to be alone with a maid.

Benji looks at his watch. "They will keep you company until the dinnertime." Benji added. Rein nods happily and thanks him passionately, she would have company without Benji around, it was a huge show of trust that he has on her, and it made her happy to have someone to talk to, even if was Benji's slaves.

Benji and Elle leave the room. "You think that is wise to do that?" Elle asked while they walk on the hall. "She deserves a reward, plus it will make her more pliable to my commands later." Benji answered. "And lastly if she does lose control is better with them, if it happens Chris can hold her down long enough for me to unsummon them, and if she can't do so other than getting a little energy there won't be any harm since I can summon them again later. If she loses control with them, then she isn't ready to be walking around."

Elle nodded understanding, a bit surprised in how Benji always found a way to both reward the girl but at the same time monitor her progress without her noticing or suspecting of anything. Still Elle was worried with a little over one month left for the drawbacks to end Benji was using a lot of energy for several things, some of them she considered as superfluous, all that balancing the changing girl.

"You lost weight again." Elle stated seriously. "I can tell." Benji sighed a little annoyed, he did lost some weight given the amount of things that he is doing. "And you were just getting back to your weight." She added with a sigh. "You are working too hard and not getting enough nutrition."

"It is hard to eat right outside." Benji said. "I know that I lost most of my fat reserves in my times in the desert, but I still have some reserve." "No you don't." Elle replied. "Your body long consumed it, you are losing vital lean mass, muscles consume a lot, the body starts to digesting it in cases of severe starvation." Elle said seriously. "You saw how much you lost after the second time in the desert. You can't rely solely on magic Benji, your body can't endure this kind of stress, specially when recovering from a even greater stress, without being able to naturally heal anything."

Benji knew all that but Rein was finally coming to shape and he couldn't just stop, and he definitely can't take anyone else to the places that he go. "While you hold a great deal of power I can still overpower you." Elle added seriously. "And I can count with everyone in this castle to tie you down on the bed if I have to, your lovers alone would be the fiercest in holding you, they can tell that you aren't so fully recovered yet."

The worse part is that Benji knew that it was truth, he didn't minded the attention, he could even live with Atsuko's massages that are closer to torture with all the stretching, pulling, cracking and bending that she forced his body on during it, he never thank nature for having a rather flexible body until she started that out. Benji had long lost the count in how many ways Atsuko can touch her head with her feet, and he can't really deny the sexiness of some of the positions that she can stretch into.

Layla was gentler in her care, but for her that meant being stuck in bed and not doing anything other than lying down, it took a long time to make her understand that he can get up and use the bathroom, eat for himself and to let him sit up and read a book, but other than that wasn't all that bad, she would be next to him ready to attend to any of his needs, Benji didn't minded being spoiled a little in that situation and Layla was starting to get in a more pleasant level.

Haruka was more simple minded, as long you take easy and don't do anything too hard you could do whatever you wanted, as long you remained in bed for few hours other than at night, she also would be there in case of any need. Erika was just Erika, healing magic, potions and some food to add to the resting and you are all tended, but she could be quite watchful as well.

Benji really don't want to revisit that experience anytime soon, he likes his mobility, and he really doesn't want to discover what Mutsumi believes to be a sick person's care, and Elle knew that, she knew that Benji loves his lovers but they could smother him easily, five women worth of attention can make that happen, so she played that card knowing that would make Benji listen to her.

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Layla overheard the conversation between Benji and Elle, it made her worried but she could tell that the healer convinced Benji to slow down, she had realized that Benji wasn't in his best shape, she thought that was because he was still recovering from the desert, but hearing that his body can't heal anything naturally made her really worried, it just wasn't possible for someone to not heal. Even with large loads and the enhanced recovery of adventurers restricted the body would still recover from things on its natural pace.

'I have heard them mentioning some drawbacks before, but they never explain what it is.' Layla thought while moving to Benji's office with hopes of talking to him after Elle did, and maybe make him explain what is going on, she never questioned why he was training Rein or why she is kept isolated from them, but something related to his health is far different from questioning his motives.

With that in mind Layla wait for twenty minutes outside the office's door until Elle leaves the room, Layla quickly stops fidgeting with the hilt's stripe and wraps the stripe back to her sword's hilt and enters on the office. She finds Benji adjusting his clothes as usual after Elle's check up.

"Goshujin-sama." Layla called. "Is everything okay?" "Not any worse than normal." Benji replied playfully. "So that is progress." Layla smiled at that, she liked the way that he tried to make things sound not bad as might be. "And your body?" Layla asked worried, she knew that Benji would either tell her or hint that he was fine because her worry.

"Not bad, just the usual stuff." Benji answered, it was true, and he was so used to it that wasn't much of a problem to him anymore. "Slow down." Layla pleaded while kneeling next to him. "You are doing too much again." She knew that unless she made him stop he wouldn't. "I don't care for that girl that you are training but you are hurting yourself again."

Benji really felt bad, Layla was holding on him, kneeled on the floor and on the verge of tears, sometimes he just forgets that her feelings for him are much deeper than he can see. Benji gently strokes her hair, he doesn't really know what to say, what he can do to comfort her, he knows that above everything he would get hurt if a situation requires it.

"Why you try so hard?" Layla asked softly, the caress did eased her worries a little, his touch always do that. "I am not sure of if myself." Benji answered honestly. "I just do, I am not much different than you, if I asked you why you love me so much you wouldn't be able to answer it exactly would you?"

Layla shakes her head softly, while she wanted to say yes she knew better, deep down she just can't pinpoint every reason why she loves him so much, she gets more everyday, she just loves him, it was all that she needed to know and show. So she just hold tighter on his legs and presses her face against his thighs.

"I don't care where you take her." Layla said seriously. "Take me with you as well, if I can ease your burden even a little it will be more than worth it. I know that you go alone to protect us, but let us do the same, love is a two way road." Benji can't contest that, but he just can't take Layla there, he went to such isolated places to release some of his instincts and unleash stress with violence, things that he doesn't want to show to anyone.

"I don't want you to see some of things that I do there." Benji told her in a serious tone. "If you think that what I did to Vana when I arrived was bad I can do much worse." Layla looks up to him. "Master you saw the worse of me and still accept me as yours, how I could turn away from you if you do the same?" Layla asked seriously and passionately. "You know my past, my suffering and you still made me your bride. Master you could do things that would destroy the soul of men and I would still love you as much as I do now, if not more because I am seeing more of you."

Benji really couldn't find words to reply to her honest and passionate words, while he knows that they are true, he still had doubts. "I am yours to do anything that you wish, no matter what it is." Layla whispered passionately. Benji kisses the passionate silver head. "That is true, but I still don't want to show you that part of me." Benji said with a bitter smile. "I am not as strong as you are."

"I am willing to wait." Layla replied hugging him. "And you are stronger than I am; I have no doubts of that. I don't care how long it takes master, I can wait for you to show me everything." "I am not sure if I want to show you that I eat monsters every now and then." Benji commented.

"Just that?" Layla asked a bit surprised, she was expecting something more gory than that. "Monster eating isn't all that uncommon, we even have cookbooks about it." Benji frowned at that. "And why whenever I mention it people get grossed out?" Benji asked confused, every time that he mentions that people get either grossed or curious, most of the time grossed.

"In some regions monster eating is uncommon, in others if fairly common, monsters are a great source of nutrients." Layla explained in a matter of fact tone. "Food made with monsters give bonuses as well. I can make you something if you want to." Benji actually thinks in accepting the offer, looking back every time that he ate a monster it was raw and unseasoned, being that one of the reasons that he carries salt around.

"I think that I will pass." Benji replied. "But I really appreciate the offer, I will keep monsters as a emergency food supply." "Just let me know if you change your mind." Layla said with a smile. "I have a cook book about that. But is that your worse than Vana thing? I think that is quite tame."

"I eat monsters raw or alive." Benji explained. Layla let out a little 'Oh' about it. "And how it tastes?" She asked curious. "Bland." Benji answered. "Well monsters of the poring family just taste bad. Monsters with flesh taste like nothing, well like raw unseasoned meat."

"Still tame." Layla commented. "We eat that sashimi stuff. Even that live type with the fish head still 'breathing'." "I can be messy." Benji said casually. "I just prefer not eating monsters with you and the others around. Besides I don't just eat monsters, I can also just let go of stuff without anyone around."

"So you don't want us to see what you can do." Layla said seriously. "It isn't that I don't trust in you, but I don't want you trying to do what I do." Benji explained. "I don't even know how I do half of the stuff that I do without getting hurt. If you or the others see me doing something, I am pretty sure that at least one of you would try copying me."

Layla can't deny that, everyone was learning a lot together, Layla was mastering the new sword style thanks to sparing with Benji and Alexis, Atsuko often got lessons from Elle in karate that greatly improved the monk's own style, Benji usually was there to get the lessons as well, and Haruka more often than not was trying new spells with different degrees of success.

So if Benji gets a new move they would try to use it, and Layla still remember when Haruka tried to teach her how to use Benji's blade knocking move, she can still feel the wooden sword hitting her head and shoulder. "I guess that I can respect that, but I still want to help." Layla finally said. "I worry about you, and you have the bad habit of not telling us important things, as if you are overworked or hurt."

Benji really can't deny that, he does keeps tons of things from Layla and the others, sometimes was to protect them, others to have tactical advantages and avoid accidental information leakage, others was just to not worry them, and few other times was just to keep things for himself or in privacy.

Deciding to put a stop on the conversation Benji distracts Layla with a kiss, knowing that she always relaxes with it, from there it was easy to go further away from the subject without a protest from her.

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Elle was pleased Benji seemed to be taking easy as she told him to, Rein was doing fine with the maids as well and was even allowed to have their company more during the day, and it has been a week since it begun and Rein haven't show any signs of desperate thirst.

Happy with the results Elle writes them down in a blank book, given her medical knowledge and mindset Elle recorded carefully any changes in the outcasts that she knows and exams regularly, trying to understand what happens to them or why they are there.

And keeping such journals it was also what kept her sane, she needed to do that, she wasn't like Benji who could just adapt and stop trying to understand or care for the details or why things happens to them, even though it was easier for them just to do so, and unlike Junko she couldn't find peace in burying herself in the mystical powers that they can get.

Critically analyzing the changes, seeing how their bodies change and adapt give her a sense of safety, it wasn't something made by pure chance, there was a pattern on it, even though she still can't see it. Adding to the theories that she heard from Benji and Junko Elle wonders if they are right, that they are there to fight something.

Even with years worth of research Elle is still surprised with every new discovery, while knowing that Benji is clearly hiding several abilities from her Elle could tell that he learned a lot of things in secret and holds them as some sort of last resort ace in the hole, that added with all the changes that she sees on him makes her worried, if he ever runs out of control she isn't sure that he can be stopped, not with the feats that he is able to do.

While Elle is thinking on Benji's secrets Benji is indeed up something, it was clear to everyone, that because he is wearing a complete full plate armor, carrying a closed eyeless helmet, not even a inch of skin is exposed, and the joints of the armor, especially the neck is reinforced with extra metal plates.

"What are you up to?" Makie asked to Benji, she can't see why he would wear such cumbersome armor, while he is walking the armor was clearly heavy and not made to move fast because its thickness. "Training something." Benji answered. "I learned from watching that what I am about to train shouldn't be trained without the proper protection gear."

"A closed and walking metal coffin without eye holes?" Makie asked confused. "Less chances of getting killed while training." Benji answered. "Anyway I am going to the depot nine, no one is supposed to go there and try to peek, there is a very tangible risk of death."

Makie nodded gravely, if Benji who is almost a walking tank by himself is so reluctant in doing whatever he is doing without that kind of armor then it was better to hear his words, it was better being safe than sorry. Makie does notices that Benji is also carrying a venom knife and wonder what kind of training it is.

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Atsuko isn't feeling all that well, in her room she groans tiredly, it has been few days since she got sick, keeping it a secret was hard, in the end she told them that could be something that she ate, but at the same time refused to let Elle exam her. Atsuko could tell that made Benji quite worried, which made her happy, but she doesn't want anyone learning the truth.

Helen finds Atsuko on her sleeping clothes and looking pale, knowing that Helen was a good healer and took care of Atsuko Benji called her, if she doesn't want Elle to check on her then he called someone that he knew that she wouldn't refuse. "What are you feeling?" Helen asked after they greet each other.

"My stomach is quite upset, my body is sore and I can't keep anything down." Atsuko answered sited on the bed. "At first I thought that it could be morning sickness, but I am not so sure." Helen looks at the younger girl, knowing her secret Helen really hoped that she wasn't pregnant, even that being Atsuko's greatest wish.

By command Atsuko takes out her top and Helen runs her right hand on her back with her eyes closed. After several moments and small instructions that were all followed Helen let out a long and heavy sigh. "You will die you know it?" Helen asked seriously. "Your body can't take the stress."

Instead of being sad Atsuko smiles widely. "So I am pregnant?" She asked back hopefully. "Very much." Helen answered. "Why you didn't wait longer? Give yourself more years?" Atsuko shakes her head softly. "Transcendency halved my life expectancy, you said that I would at the tops live until I was fifty and something." Atsuko answered seriously. "I have twenty and two, I don't have many more years, if possible I wanted to see my child to grow even if is just for a short while. I am not sure even sure that I can call it a regret but I wanted to see how stronger as a champion I could get, but if I place this child and that desire side to side the child is more precious to me."

Helen sighed, she knew that Atsuko's mind was set, but she was still against it. "We have no idea of how your body will react to this Atsuko." Helen said somberly. "Look at you, you barely are on what, the first weeks, and you are already looking sick and frail."

"It isn't like I wasn't aware of this." Atsuko said while putting her shirt back on. "Honestly what surprised me the most is that I could live such an active lifestyle in my condition, and I did plan on taking easy on this period." "Atsuko we are speaking on a very real chance of you not making through this pregnancy." Helen replied. "It isn't safe, we don't even know if either you or the child will survive."

"We will." Atsuko said with a smile. "I am happy with your concern, I really am, but I never hid from you the fact that my second goal was to gain immortality through my child, I will live on with her, in her blood, in the memories of everyone. I am happy enough in experiencing the joy of an adventurer, maybe is time for me to try the happiness of a woman."

Atsuko wasn't going to budge, Helen can tell that, even if she did, Helen isn't sure if she would be able to do something, unnatural abortation was against the church's creed, and she doesn't support it either.

"I will speak with that Elle woman." Helen said seriously. "And with few midwives. And don't even think in contesting this, I might help in keeping this a secret of Benji for a while, but don't even think in doing anything stupid, I am not sure if your health with deteriorate with this, and I won't allow you to do any kind of hard work."

Atsuko doesn't protest, Helen stands up and leave the room, she had to think in how tell to Elle about Atsuko's pregnancy and her special condition, knowing very well that won't be an easy talk, specially convincing her to keep it a secret from Benji.

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Elle listens in silence to everything that Helen said, in a way she is surprised in hearing that, Atsuko was as far as she knows as healthy as a horse, to learn that her health was that frail is quite surprising, however what made Elle really interested in the conversation was the part that Atsuko was pregnant, it wasn't a secret that Atsuko was Benji's lover and only have sex with him, so the father was surely him.

For Elle that was really important it confirmed that it was possible for an outcast to have a child with someone native from Rune, but the delicate state of health that Atsuko is in worries her a lot, mostly because if Atsuko and the child die Elle won't get the answers that she wants.

"I am not sure if I can do much about it." Elle said seriously once Helen was done. "I am not an expert in heart conditions. Even if her particular condition isn't something that she was born with. At the best what I can do is monitor her health and try to prevent complications."

"That is all that I ask." Helen replied. "I really care for Atsuko, she had a harsh life and as much as I want to stop her, her mind is set in having this child, it is something that she wanted for a long time."

"I have to tell this to Benji." Elle announced firmly. "As the father as well Atsuko's lover he needs to know this. The best that I can do is let Atsuko tell him herself, but in one way or another he needs to learn that, tell her that she has until lunch tomorrow to tell him."

Helen nodded unwillingly, she knows that Elle is right, Benji has the right to know what is going on, but it wasn't exactly easy to tell to someone that you have an expiration date. Elle watches Helen leaving and pulls a book from her drawer, she starts to write things down on it, every bit of information that she got from Helen.

Helen tells to Atsuko about Elle's ultimatum, it pained her to see Atsuko's pained smile. "I knew that sooner or later I would have to tell him this." Atsuko said with looking at her hands. "But it doesn't make it any easier. It is a bit unfair to have a deadline for this, I am not ready for it yet."

"Is the price to pay for what you wanted." Helen replied seriously. "You wanted a good lover and a child, you have to deal with everything on that, the good and the bad." Atsuko nodded agreeing. "Mind in telling him to come here?" Atsuko asked. "I guess that is better to hammer the iron while is still hot."

Atsuko was scared, even with her last conversation with Benji about that subject revealed that he had a rather positive view, she was still scared of telling him that she was pregnant and could die either in birth or shortly afterwards. So when Benji enters on the room a short while after Helen left Atsuko was very uneasy.

"Helen said that you wanted to see me." Benji said in a mix of a worried and gentle tone. Atsuko nods meekly, that wasn't how she imagined telling to the man that she loves that she is expecting a child of his, but again she was also telling him that she might die anytime soon.

Benji sits on the bed next to Atsuko, he can tell her uneasiness, it was easy, the normally strong willed and active champion was really hesitant, so he decides to wait until she is ready to talk to him, inwardly hoping that she is fine or will recover soon. Atsuko leans against Benji's body and wraps his left arm around her shoulders.

"I have two things to tell you." Atsuko said softly. "One is bad, the second is good, at least I think that is good." Benji just hold Atsuko tighter as he replied. "Give the bad first, at least the good will make it less bad." Atsuko smiled at that, she isn't sure if will lift his spirits afterwards.

"You remember the scar that I have in the lower part of my left breast?" Atsuko asked. "Yes, I asked about it a couple of times and you never told me how you got it." Benji answered, while wondering where it would lead, he kind of has an idea of where it was going as well.

"You also remember when I told you about how my village was attacked by monsters?" Atsuko asked seriously. Benji nodded confirming, he does remember it well. "I kind of hid the fact that I was badly hurt then." Atsuko confessed softly. "One of the monsters drove a spear on my chest, right in the heart, while Helen saved me she also told me that I might not live as long as I could before I got the wound and I might as well die with some sort of problem on my heart. Elle came here earlier and said that I have some sort of scarring and thinner heart tissues, she did used some terms that I didn't understood, but she said that I have a potential hole in my heart, she said that it can't be treated, it has been too long, the damage is already there. The baseline is that I can die at any moment, and at the best I have two or three more years to live."

Benji was surprised with the revelation, but at the same time he saw it coming thanks to her previous question. "But if you have such a sensitive heart how could you do all that I saw you doing?" Benji asked confused, he saw Atsuko fighting hard and for long periods of time, she felt her heart racing more than few times.

Atsuko smiled bitterly at that. "Training." She answered. "I trained hard, that is why it took me years to become an adventurer, I trained my heart, I made it stronger so it would work better with the weakness, I am also a monk, we train to master our bodies, so it was easy to learn how to strengthen my heart enough to fight as I did, the heart is made of muscles, so training it allowed me to do this, it works well enough to give me a good life. But it is a delicate balance."

"Why it happened now?" Benji asked, if she was fine just few weeks earlier not doing anything unusual how she was in bed like that. "And that brings me to the good news." Atsuko answered. "I am pregnant, I think that has been a little less than one month now."

Benji was again surprised, but somehow ready for it, he did spoke with Atsuko about that and knew that she wanted a family, and he wasn't really surprised that someone ended knocked up with the amount of unprotected sex that they have, most of the times when he tries to pull away they almost cry, or even hold him in place with their legs.

"Why I am not surprised that you aren't all that surprised?" Atsuko asked teasingly and a bit annoyed, it was a big surprise, she was expecting more of a reaction from him. "First I always got this 'I want to have babies with you' vibe from you." Benji answered casually. "Second we have that chat a while ago when you asked me how I felt in starting a family, so it wasn't much for a surprise thanks to that, lastly I come inside of you ninety percent of the times that we have sex, I have to ask when I want something other than that, and your lower lip always quiver when I do it outside."

"I didn't know that." Atsuko commented, she was surprised that Benji noticed details like that when they are making love, but it did make her feel warm inside that he paid that much attention to her when they do it, while she didn't minded the other stuff that they did together she still felt the best when he ejaculated inside of her and filled her womb. "And I also thought that you would respond more negatively to this."

"It wouldn't change anything." Benji replied. "I knew that it would happen sooner or later, I was hoping later, but things never happen how I planed here. Besides what good it would be to stress you more? I love you and we have been together this long with that secret of yours, just knowing it now won't change anything."

"And here was I hoping to get some preferential treatment." Atsuko said in mock disappointment, she was really happy that Benji didn't act as she feared. "You will get plenty of that given your pregnancy status and not because some heart problem." Benji said teasingly. "And not only from me."

Now Atsuko groaned, she lives in a castle where ninety nine percent of the inhabitants are women, that kind of news would make every one of them excited over it. "And there goes my calm pregnancy that I hoped to get." Atsuko muttered, but the smile forming on her lips show her true feelings.

Benji smiled at that and holds Atsuko a little tighter. Surprised she looks up at him. "Since you had enough courage to tell me such a big secret I will tell you one of mine." Benji said seriously, Atsuko could tell that was serious just by the way that he is now hugging her, it wasn't the kind of hug induced by fear of her leaving him, but the type that is given to comfort her when she is afraid or scared of something, and she holds on him tightly already afraid of whatever it is, but too curious to stop him from saying it, it was ironic how much she wanted him to not tell him anything at the same time that she wants to hear it so badly.

"I might disappear at any moment." Benji said seriously. "I don't mean just being sent to a distant corner of Rune, but truly disappearing from this world without any given notice." Atsuko shivered strongly at that, now she understood why she was being held so tightly, so strongly, it was her biggest fear, having Benji disappearing from her.

"I am not from Rune-Midgard." Benji continued. "I came from what I believe to be a different dimension, I don't know how I came here, why or even how to go back or if I am here forever, or even if I will be removed from this world so suddenly as I was from my own. That is why when we met I was so reluctant of starting a lasting relationship; it would hurt too much if I was suddenly sent away."

Atsuko hold him tighter and fights her fear and despair. "Why you are telling me this?" Atsuko asked with a shaky voice. "You told me your deepest secret." Benji answered. "It was only fair if I told you mine." Atsuko knew that, but still was hard for her. "Anyone else knows?" She asked.

"Other than others like me I only told to Layla." Benji answered seriously. Atsuko's fear is driven back by jealously. "Why Layla?" She asked angrily. "And when you told her that?" "Before I officially started to date you." Benji answered. "And before you snap I want to point out that was Layla to made me decide to take my chances and have lasting relationships not only with her but with you and everyone else."

Atsuko couldn't really get mad at that, Layla did do that. "And while I was discussing what to do with her I voice my fears." Benji added. "That meant that I told her why I didn't want to love anyone or have any loved one here. And it was that secret that made Layla accept you here as well, the fact that she knew something that you didn't made her feel more secure about herself."

Atsuko knew that Layla was pretty unsure about herself and her ability to keep Benji happy, she also knew why Layla was like that, so she couldn't get mad at that, sure she and Layla became sort of friends as they got to know each other, and they became intimate enough to not mind having the other in bed with Benji, or sharing him at the same time.

"When I discussed that with Layla I decided to make my time here the fullest." Benji said seriously. "I would love as much as I can, eat as much as I can, drink as much, enjoy the life as fully as possible." Atsuko could so relate to that, it was how she lived; she decided if she couldn't live long then she would live the little that she has the most that she could.

"And what you will do now?" Atsuko asked worried. "I guess that we can only prepare to what is coming." Benji answered. "We see if we can do anything to make your heart better and keep both you and the baby safe."

Atsuko smiled at that, it was sweet of him to think like that. "I don't think that there is anything that can fix my heart." Atsuko said while lightly kissing him. "I have long made peace with this Benji, so please don't worry so much about it."

"How can I not worry about it?!" Benji exclaimed surprising her. "No one wants to see a loved one dying, especially without being able to do anything about it, in this world of magic there has to be a way to heal your heart."

"Even if it does exist how long it would take to find it?" Atsuko asked softy, it made her so happy to see him that passionate about her well being. "Would it be worth to expend an unknown amount of time obsessively searching for something that might not even exist when we have a set amount of time together? Missing the development of your first child? Losing her first moments or even years?"

Benji felt a lump on his throat over Atsuko's argument, and there really wasn't an easy answer, not searching would mean losing Atsuko, while searching would remove the time that they have together in a quest that might be futile, it was a no win situation. "I know that won't be easy." Atsuko said gently caressing his face. "You think that is easy to me just accept that I won't be here to see our child growing? But nothing can change this, what we can do is make best with what we got and make happy memories."

Benji felt really powerless, he had all that power, all that ability to do amazing stuff but nothing that he could do could repair Atsuko's heart and save her life. Benji frowns lightly and recalls what he did to Rein, while it worked on Rein Benji is afraid of trying that on Atsuko, or giving to Atsuko the same problems that he has.

Holding the blonde tighter Benji thinks if he could do that to Atsuko, he failed it once and succeeded it once, not enough odds or information for him to try, he might as well kill Atsuko or doom her to the same problems that he and Rein have. "I don't know what you are thinking about." Atsuko whisper softly. "Just let it go okay?"

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Only a long time later Benji leaves Atsuko's bedroom, outside it Helen and Elle were waiting. "Not even a way?" Benji asked to them once the door is closed, he had stayed with Atsuko until she fell on sleep.

"Sorry there is nothing." Elle answered. "The best that I can do is to check on her regularly and try to treat any symptoms or prevent anything bad. I am no cardiologist." "If there was anything I would have done it a long ago." Helen answered in a plain tone, if was possible she would have it done. "For the record I am against this, but it is her wish so I will support it."

Benji let out a long sigh. "I will ask around, maybe someone knows something." Benji said. "This world is filled with magic, there has to be something." "You think that you will have more success than I did?" Helen asked angrily. "The world is bigger now." Benji replied calmly. "We have more known areas, maybe in one of them someone knows something."

Helen can't deny that, there were new places to look for it. "Anyway I don't want just to watch her die without doing anything." Benji added. "I might not search as intensely as I want to, but I can as well ask some people to do so." Helen could accept that.

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"Just spit it out." Benji said to Elle once they are alone in his office. "It is written all over your face." Elle chuckled at that. "Fine, I am excited with this." Elle said casually. "An outcast and a native had produced a child. It is the hard proof that I needed, still I would be glad to have evidence of a female outcast getting pregnant."

"I am not even sure if I can do this." Benji commented. "My father is a total jerk, and was absent most of my life, I am so not ready for this, and I still have Juichi and other enemies bothering me above everything else." "You handle Maria just fine." Elle commented. "Sure you have help but you do a good job, give yourself a chance."

'Talking is easy.' Benji thought with a sigh, it was a responsibility that he wasn't sure if he was ready for it or able to shoulder it. 'I have easier times killing people.' "Anyway about what Atsuko said." Benji said to the healer. "I want a bit more of detail and forget the medical terms."

It was Elle's turn of sighing. "Well resuming everything her heart is damaged but at the same time is strong." Elle said seriously. "She trained in a way to make it able to pump more blood with less beats, which allowed her to lead this active lifestyle, however that gives an extra strain to the damaged area. In short if she had lived as a commoner she would be a rather weakly person, any physical strain would either tire her out or risk her life. I am not sure about her life quality if that was the case, but as an adventurer what she did while risky it paid off well, the extra vitality and healing abilities of an adventurer kept her heart working even damaged, in a delicate balance."

"So the pregnancy caused this." Benji concluded. "Yes, but I believe that this physical frailty is temporary. Pregnancy is known for affecting a woman's body." Elle replied. "While I don't see her being fit for adventuring or hard physical work, she will be able to live a 'commoner's' life while pregnant." "Yet it is a theory." Benji pointed out. "But I can live with that happening, is much better than the option."

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Atsuko wakes after the lunch hour, a bit disappointed that she finds herself alone in the bed, but she knows that Benji has other pressing issues as well, so she settles with what she got. Atsuko doesn't notice an Aliza nearby who just leaves the room. Startled Atsuko sees the Aliza returning with a cart with food on it.

"Master has placed me to serve you." Aliza said while entering on the bedroom. "Elle had selected the meal for you and I don't think that I have to point out who told you to make yourself eat it, do I?" "No you don't." Atsuko replied while sitting up, she can easily see Helen, Benji and Elle telling her to push the food down her throat.

"Where is Benji?" Atsuko asked while Aliza places a tray over her legs. "Master is currently outside the castle taking care of some business." Aliza answered while make sure that the feet of the tray are firm on the bed. "He should be back at the latest as dinnertime."

Atsuko can't complain about that, she looks at the food that she was offered, it wasn't that she doesn't like it, but rice porridge was a bit bland for her liking. Aliza places the bowl over the tray and takes the side dishes as well, some soft boiled fish, pickled vegetables and lastly a fruits salad.

Taking the spoon from the maid Atsuko starts to eat the porridge, after few moments she swallows it down. "You added those powdered eggshells here haven't you?" Atsuko asked to the maid. "As instructed by Elle, calcium is important for you now." Aliza answered. "The broth used was as well made more nutritional."

Atsuko can't really get mad with that, they are taking extra care that she will have a healthy pregnancy, besides it wasn't all that bad, she just have to ignore the slight gritty feeling.

End of the chapter thirty five:

Author explanation corner:

Monster cooking: When I started the story and Benji eating monsters, food made from monsters wasn't something available in RO, so it was shocking and stuff. However they released a chapter or something were cookbooks became available and food made with monster pieces became normal, they even give bonuses and stuff like that, and can be worth quite a lot of money.

Anyway for Benji monster food was something that he didn't knew that existed and expected negative feelings if that habit became well known by the guild. I decided to play a bit with that and throw a 'just that?' attitude on the discussion, kind make he thinks if all his worries are unfounded, after all, after everything that he has done the girls aren't really caring about it, no matter what it is.

Training with solid armor: Secret for now.

Atsuko's health and pregnancy: For the pregnancy it was bound to happen sooner or later given the amount of sex hinted on the story. Anyway this was planned from the very beginning, as Atsuko's frail heart. Please anyone with medical knowledge do not point out on the contradiction of the situation, there was worse things than this displayed in anime before, so no flames related to that okay? Well if you happen to know an exact condition similar to that and want to tell me about I would appreciate it.

Back to the explanation, as told in the story Atsuko's health is in a delicate balance, the pregnancy altered it causing Atsuko to fall ill until her body adjusts to it, that if adjusts to it. I will focus more on this later.

Rein: I am still not done with her, but will give her a little break for now.


End file.
